Presents overwhelming evidence, from a range of disciplines, that local people do know a great deal about their environment. This knowledge must be taken into account in the planning and implementation of development to be both acceptable and effective. Forty six contributions from anthropologists, sociologists, geographers and agricultural scientists (among others) in academia and international organizations provide both case study material and general conceptual papers. The interdisciplinary approach of this book makes it an essential tool for those studying indigenous knowledge systems.