Reflections on the future of European ethnobiology
Reyes-García, Victoria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)
McKey, Doyle (University of Montpellier)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	In recent years, ethnobiology has undergone significant transformation. A renewed research framework has emerged that prioritizes an ethics of care-one that emphasizes relationships, interdependence, and responsibility towards both human and non-human others throughout all stages of research. This paradigm shift, led largely by Indigenous scholars and researchers from the Global South, invites European ethnobiologists to critically reflect on how they can engage with, contribute to, and learn from these evolving approaches in light of pressing environmental and social challenges. In this Perspective, we explore the future of European ethnobiology in two main ways. First, we reflect on the specificities of a European lens within global ethnobiology, considering how European ethnobiologists might participate more meaningfully in transdisciplinary and intercultural dialogues. Second, drawing on core principles of the emerging global paradigm, we outline five key avenues for future development: (1) deepening commitments to an ethics of care; (2) responding more directly to contemporary challenges; (3) expanding research contexts; (4) reimagining methodological approaches; and (5) enhancing the societal relevance and applied impact of European ethnobiologists, both within and beyond Europe. We highlight current examples of European ethnobiologists already advancing these directions and underscore the field's dynamic evolution. We conclude by identifying critical challenges faced by European ethnobiologists, including the need to engage with rapidly evolving digital technologies and to navigate institutional and epistemic barriers that hinder the co-creation of knowledge across diverse worldviews.
Grants:	European Commission FP7-771056-LICCI Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Ethnobiology ; European Network of Ethnobiologists ; Europe
Published in:	Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, Vol. 21, Núm. 1 (2025) , p. 1-12, ISSN 1746-4269
Related work:	Reyes-García, Victoria; McKey, Doyle. «Correction : Reflections on the future of European ethnobiology». Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, Vol. 21 Núm. 1 (2025), art 73 10.1186/s13002-025-00823-y

Correcció de l'article: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/322106
DOI: 10.1186/s13002-025-00803-2
PMID: 40691602

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