Recife Charter – Pathways for the future of ethnobiology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2026-02-15-06-1-9Keywords:
Epistemic Justice , Co-creation , Ethics, Reproducibility, Public Policy , Biocultural DiversityAbstract
At the 5th International School of Ethnobiology in Recife (4–5 November 2025), researchers from Brazil and around the world gathered in a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose to envision the future of ethnobiology. This document presents the central agreements and commitments from this transformative meeting, affirming the imperative for an ethnobiology that is theoretically robust, socially relevant, and ethically responsible. The Recife Charter sets forth guiding principles and bold strategic actions for the decades ahead, championing epistemic justice, co-creation, social relevance, methodological rigor, broadened ethics, and responsible use of technology.
Downloads
References
Albuquerque U (2025) Epistemic bubbles and echo chambers in the progress of science. Ethnobiology and Conservation 14. doi: 10.15451/ec2025-11-14-38-1-19 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2025-11-14-38-1-19
Albuquerque UP, Alves RRN, Carmo RFR (2024) Is there a neocolonial stance in ethnobiology? Ethnobiology and Conservation. doi:10.15451/ec2024-01-13.06-1-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2024-01-13.06-1-4
Alves RRN, Nishida AK, Hernández MIM (2005) Environmental perception of gatherers of the crab ‘caranguejo-uçá’ (Ucides cordatus, Decapoda, Brachyura) affecting their collection attitudes. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 1:10. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-1-10 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-1-10
Borges AKM, Adams VM, Alves RRN, Oliveira TPR (2025) Integrating local ecological knowledge into systematic conservation planning for seahorse conservation Conservation Biology 39:e70027. doi: 10.1111/cobi.70027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70027
Bussmann RW, Paniagua Zambrana NY, De Meyer E (2025) What are the most significant challenges that ethnobiology and ethnomedicine have faced so far, and how were they dealt with? Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 21:63. doi:10.1186/s13002-025-00814-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00814-z
Carrière SM, Sabinot C, Pagezy H (2017) Children’s ecological knowledge: drawings as a tool for ethnobiologists (Gabon, Madagascar). AnthropoChildren 7. doi: 10.25518/2034-8517.2777 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25518/2034-8517.2777
Fernández-Llamazares A, Teixidor-Toneu I (2025) Towards a forward-looking ethnobiology: envisioning and co-creating biocultural futures. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 21:72. doi: 10.1186/s13002-025-00820-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00820-1
Flachs A (2025) Ethnobiology and degrowth: a review of the opportunities for collaboration, generative inquiry, and solidarity in socio-ecological research. Journal of Ethnobiology. doi:10.1177/02780771251374886 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/02780771251374886
Lambert WM, Camacho-Rivera M, Boutin-Foster C, Salifu M, Riley WJ (2024) Ending “domestic helicopter research”. Cell 187(8): 1823–1827. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.027
Laumann KM, Hoad NM, Alvaro L, Badri SL, Burke N, Carew A, Corte GN, Croquer A, Esmaeili YS, Farrell M (2025) Closing the parachute and opening the umbrella: Strategies for inclusivity and representation in producing impactful coastal ecosystem research. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures 3: e21. doi: 10.1017/cft.2025.10004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2025.10004
Lepofsky D, Hekelsmiller C, Fernández-Llamazares A, Wall J (2023) Seeking a more ethical future for ethnobiology publishing: a 40-year perspective from Journal of Ethnobiology. Journal of Ethnobiology 41:122-143. doi: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.2.122 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-41.2.122
Ludwig D, El-Hani CN (2025) Transformative Transdisciplinarity: An Introduction to Community-Based Philosophy. Oxford University Press, New York. doi: 10.1093/ 9780197815281.001.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197815281.001.0001
Novato T,Albuquerque UP,Campos JLA,Soldati G (2025) Assessment of demographic sustainability of Comanthera elegans under traditional management in the Brazilian savanna. Conservation Biology 39: e70028. doi:10.1111/cobi.70028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70028
Odeny B, Bosurgi R (2022) Time to end parachute science. PLoS Medicine 19(9): e1004099. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004099 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004099
Odonne G, Zank S (2026) How can ethnobiology and ethnomedicine foster more applied and concrete solutions to safeguard medicinal systems of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and local communities? Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 22:6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00846-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00846-5
Pieroni A, Alrhmoun M, Sulaiman N (2025) Plural and commoning? Forecasting four scenarios for ethnobiology and ethnomedicine by 2035. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 21:46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00804-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00804-1
Reyes-García V (2023) Beyond artificial academic debates: for a diverse, inclusive, and impactful ethnobiology and ethnomedicine. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 19:36. doi:10.1186/s13002-023-00611-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-023-00611-6
Reyes-García V, Mckey D, European Network of Ethnobiologists (2025) Reflections on the future of European Ethnobiology. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 21:50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00803-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00823-y
Sulaiman N (2025) Botanical Ethnoknowledge Index: a new quantitative assessment method for cross-cultural analysis. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 21:20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00772-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00772-6
Sulaiman N, Verner V, Polesny Z (2023) Socioeconomic Dimensions of Wild Food Plant Use During the Conflict in Syria. Economic Botany 77:267-281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-023-09579-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-023-09579-6
Teixidor-Toneu I, Odonne G, Leonti M, Hudson M, Jordan FM, Mattalia G, Pankararu CGJ, Silva MT, Silva LS, Ulian T, Vandebroek I, Wall J, Hanazaki N (2026) Improving visibility for knowledge holders in ethnobiological and ethnopharmacological publications. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 355(Part A): 120632. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2025.120632. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.120632
Vandebroek I, Stepp JR, Kunwar R, Hilgert N, Pulido Silva MT, Ladio AH, Clement CR, Ferreira Júnior WS, Towns AM, Borokini I, Rodrigues do Carmo RF, Odonne G, Alves RRN, Jacob MCM, Shackleton CM, Timsina S, Albuquerque UP (2025) Upholding ethical accountability in ethnobotany and ethnobiology research. Economic Botany 79: 123–134. doi:10.1007/s12231-025-09634-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-025-09634-4
Vandebroek I, Pieroni A, Stepp JR, Hanazaki N, Ladio A, Alves RRN, Picking D, Delgoda R, Maroyi A, van Andel T, Quave C, Paniagua-Zambrana NY, Bussmann RW, Odonne G, Abbasi AM, Albuquerque UP, Baker J, Kutz S, Timsina S, Shigeta M, Oliveira TP, Hurrell JA, Arenas PM, Puentes JP, Hugé J, Yesil Y, Pierre LJ, Olango TM, Dahdouh-Guebas F (2020) Reshaping the future of ethnobiology research after the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Plants 6:723-730. doi: 10.1038/s41477-020-0691-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-0691-6
Zank S, Julião CG, Lima AS, Silva MT, Levis C, Hanazaki N, Peroni N. (2025) Ethnobiology! Until when will the colonialist legacy be reinforced? Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 21:1. doi:10.1186/s13002-024-00750-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00750-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior, Abdullah Abdullah, Elena Castiñeira Latorre, Thais Samila de Oliveira Ferraz, Marina Barros Abreu, Rafael Marques Guimarães Konopczyk, Vitória Daniela Figueredo Dutra da Silva, Maria Lorena da Silva, Catalina Rico Lenta, Ina Vandebroek, Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque, Anibal da Silva Cantalice, Rafael Ricardo Vasconcelos da Silva, Luiz Felipe Pereira da Silva, Cosmin Marius Ivașcu, Tamires Maria da Silva, Zbynek Polesny, Ana Ladio, Alice Medeiros Souza, Marleny Prada De La Cruz, Arlene Oliveira Souza, Yao Fu, Larissa Trierveiler-Pereira, Yadav Uprety, Heron Luis Barros, Tacyana Pereira Ribeiro de Oliveira, Stéphanie M. Carrière, Rayane Karoline Silva dos Santos, Maria Julia Ferreira, Ouerle Chao, Kaique Caetano Silva, Naji Sulaiman, Paula Thayanne Mata, Rômulo Romeu da Nóbrega Alves, Flávia da Luz Tavares Barbosa, José Cicero Oliveira da Silva, Elcida de Lima Araújo, Micheas Barboza da Silva Filho, Anna Karolina Martins Borges, Arthur Vinícius Isidorio Ferreira, João Victor Alves Cipriano, Eric Bem dos Santos, Ingrid da Silva Lima, José Juliano Lucena da Silva, Marcos Lucas dos Santos Vieira, Carlos Henrique Tavares Mendes, Bruno Nascimento da Silva, Rayssa Lima dos Santos, Guillaume Odonne, Edwine Soares de Oliveira, Bianca Melo de Oliveira, Marina Sunshine Souza Lobo dos Santos, Bruna Ferreira de Barros, Oliver Lopes dos Santos, João Victor Mendes da Silva, Geane Limeira da Silva, Valdir de Moura Brito Junior

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.