Open research questions in Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Agriculture

What the literature leaves open

• Small sample size (n = 69), - Limited to a specific tribal community (Kattunayakans), - No comparison with other communities or control groups

  Connectedness to Nature among the Kattunayakan Tribal Community in the Western Ghats · 2026 · DOI

• Investigate the relationship between nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviors, - Examine the impact of education on nature connectedness in other communities, - Explore the role of traditional religious beliefs in shaping nature connectedness

  Connectedness to Nature among the Kattunayakan Tribal Community in the Western Ghats · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the knowledge and practices of soil protection among ethnic minority women. The paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the knowledge and practices of soil protection among ethnic minority women in Vietnam. The study identifies the need for improving farmers' knowledge, especially among ethnic minority women.

  Knowledge and Practices of Soil Protection Among Ethnic Minority Women in A Ngo Commune, A Luoi District, Hue City, Vietnam · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in understanding how traditional ecological knowledge is affected by relocation. It highlights the need to explore the transferability and non-transferability of traditional ecological knowledge in new settings.

  Traditional Ecological Knowledge in a Mobile World · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the documentation of the Kanmoi Tanks in Drylands concept. The paper highlights the need to understand the cultural significance and community participation in protecting and preserving the KTD system.

  Kanmoi Tanks in Drylands: An Autoethnographic Study of Freshwater Conservation in Tamil Nadu, India · 2026 · DOI

• The challenge of preserving tacit Indigenous knowledge in a digital format. The need to balance the potential benefits of digitalisation with the risk of cultural appropriation and exploitation. The challenge of ensuring community governance and control over the digitalisation process.

  Community-centred Digitalisation of Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge: An Empirically Derived Framework from Vhavenda Groundnut Farming, South Africa · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of community-centred approaches to the digitalisation of Indigenous agricultural knowledge. The neglect of Indigenous epistemologies, community authority, and culturally appropriate knowledge governance in existing digitalisation approaches. The need for a framework that prioritises Indigenous governance, community participation, and ethical stewardship.

  Community-centred Digitalisation of Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge: An Empirically Derived Framework from Vhavenda Groundnut Farming, South Africa · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies the challenge of rapid depletion of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. It notes the challenge of limited access to medicine in poor countries. The study also references the challenge of mismanagement of medicinal plant resources impacting the livelihoods of rural smallholder farmers.

  Harmonizing Traditional Knowledge with Environmental Preservation: Sustainable Strategies for the Conservation of Indigenous Medicinal Plants (IMPs) and Their Implications for Economic Well-Being · 2024 · DOI

• The study only investigated smallholder farmers in the Amatole District Municipality - The sample size was limited to 150 smallholder farmers - The study relied on self-administered structured questionnaires for data collection

  Harmonizing Traditional Knowledge with Environmental Preservation: Sustainable Strategies for the Conservation of Indigenous Medicinal Plants (IMPs) and Their Implications for Economic Well-Being · 2024 · DOI

• Harnessing the synergy between indigenous wisdom and modern science is crucial for sustainable agriculture; however, empirical evidence on the drivers of this integration remains scarce, particularly in Ethiopia.

  Bridging knowledge systems synergies gaps and drivers of Indigenous and scientific knowledge integration for sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia · 2025 · DOI

• Long-term evaluations of the impacts of integrating 4IR technologies with African indigenous knowledge. Investigations into the risks of false positives and negatives in 4IR-IKS integrated systems. Development of inclusive, ethical frameworks that embed Indigenous Knowledge Systems into digital systems.

  Fourth industrial revolution technologies for climate resilience in Africa: Integrating African indigenous knowledge for smart sustainability · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of clear metrics to assess community involvement or cultural relevance. The limited attention to system robustness, including the risks of false positives and negatives. The high capital investment required for deploying 4IR technologies often benefits external suppliers and technology vendors more than the communities they are intended to serve.

  Fourth industrial revolution technologies for climate resilience in Africa: Integrating African indigenous knowledge for smart sustainability · 2026 · DOI

• The implementation of NEP 2020 remains uneven due to limited operational guidance, inadequate teacher preparedness, insufficient contextual learning resources, and persistent structural constraints, - Teachers face challenges in incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems into formal teaching practices without compromising academic standards

  Bridging Policy and Practice: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Value-Based Education in Primary School Curriculum under the Indian National Education Policy · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the literature on the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and value-based education in primary education, - The study highlights the need for a policy-pedagogy-teacher agency framework for integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems and value-based education in primary education

  Bridging Policy and Practice: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Value-Based Education in Primary School Curriculum under the Indian National Education Policy · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should focus on the application of indigenous knowledge in addressing global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development. Future research should explore the methodological trends in IKS research. Future research should consider the importance of indigenous knowledge in sustainable development and climate change.

  The Forest's Script: Deciphering a Decade of Tribal Indigenous Knowledge and Ecological Resilience in West Bengal (2016–2026) · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in West Bengal. The study highlights the need for further research on the methodological trends in IKS research.

  The Forest's Script: Deciphering a Decade of Tribal Indigenous Knowledge and Ecological Resilience in West Bengal (2016–2026) · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of effective preservation and digitization strategies for IK materials in Nigerian academic libraries. The need for a contextually validated, community-centred preservation and digitization framework tailored to the Nigerian academic library context.

  Preservation and Digitization of Indigenous Knowledge Materials in Academic Libraries: Evidence from Northern Nigeria and the PIKAD Framework · 2026 · DOI

• The methodological dimensions of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) remain relatively underexplored in contemporary academic discourse. There is a need to diversify research methodologies by incorporating perspectives from non-Western knowledge systems.

  Revisiting Tantrayukti: An Indigenous Framework for Knowledge Organization and Research Methodology in Contemporary Academic Contexts · 2026 · DOI

• counterarguments. However, Tantrayukti integrates this aspect more organically into the analytical process. This contributes to intellectual rigor and transparency, as it encourages researchers to engage critically with their own arguments (Patel). It also aligns with contemporary ethical standards in research. Upasamhara (Conclusion and Synthesis) Upasamhara represents the concluding stage, where the discussion is synthesized into a coherent whole. Unlike simple summaries, it emphasizes integration and reflection. This ensures that the research is presented as a unified narrative, connecting theoretical and practical findings implications.

  Revisiting Tantrayukti: An Indigenous Framework for Knowledge Organization and Research Methodology in Contemporary Academic Contexts · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a lacuna in sustained analytical attention to domestic and ritual culinary practices, particularly those embedded within caste-based residential formations. The study addresses the gap in understanding the production and transmission of knowledge in everyday life, particularly in the context of food and cuisine.

  From Hearth to Heritage: Culinary Knowledge Systems of the Agraharam (19th –21st Century)- A Case Study of Kalpathi Village, Kerala · 2026 · DOI

• The disconnection between conventional development models and indigenous knowledge systems. The lack of effective institutions to capture and translate indigenous knowledge. The need for a framework that integrates insights from dependency theory and endogenous growth theory.

  <span>Exploring Kulemera Ndikudya: An Indigenous Knowledge-Based Development Model for Malawi</span> · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the historical trajectory and contemporary convergence of grassroots telecommunications policy advocacy in Indian Country. The paper highlights the need for comprehensive planning in infrastructure, digital equity, cultural protection, and data governance.

  Journal of Community Informatics Special Issue: Charting Sovereignty in the Digital Age: Tribal Leadership, Broadband, and the Rise of Tribal Digital Sovereignty · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of vaginal practices as part of indigenous knowledge. The research highlights the need to explore the gendered dynamics that shape the use of vaginal practices. The study aims to address the lack of research on the importance of indigenous knowledge in addressing women's health and wellness.

  Indigenous knowledge and the adoption of vaginal practices among rural women: Insight from Tsholotsho, Zimbabwe · 2026 · DOI

• There is a gap in the understanding of drought management, particularly in the context of indigenous knowledge systems. Prior work has focused on scientific investigations, but there is a need to explore the use of IKS as a mitigation strategy.

  Indigenous knowledge systems-based drought coping strategies and mechanisms of the Ndau people of Chipinge district, Zimbabwe · 2026 · DOI

• integration of Ndau IKS into both local and national disaster risk reduction frameworks in Zimbabwe. the for Therefore, this study presents Ndau-tailored indigenous solutions for coping with recurrent droughts in the lowland areas of Chipinge district. It addresses a gap in documented empirical knowledge regarding specific drought forecasting and mitigation strategies adopted by the Ndau people. Hence, this study presents a case study with recognisable and actionable strategies from a minority indigenous group in Zimbabwe, thereby contributing to the literature on IKS- based drought coping and mitigation strategies. These strategies can be assimilated into national policies on disaster risk management for local minority communities.

  Indigenous knowledge systems-based drought coping strategies and mechanisms of the Ndau people of Chipinge district, Zimbabwe · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Agriculture

• Dismantling the Divide Between Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge · Development and Change · 1995 · 1,405 citations
• Connecting Diverse Knowledge Systems for Enhanced Ecosystem Governance: The Multiple Evidence Base Approach · AMBIO · 2014 · 1,048 citations
• Ways of knowing, being and doing: A theoretical framework and methods for indigenous and indigenist re‐search · Journal of Australian Studies · 2003 · 866 citations
• Framework for integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge for disaster risk reduction · Disasters · 2009 · 442 citations
• The Development of Indigenous Knowledge · Current Anthropology · 1998 · 441 citations
• Indigenous knowledge and science revisited · Cultural Studies of Science Education · 2007 · 401 citations
• The use of indigenous knowledge in development: problems and challenges · Progress in Development Studies · 2005 · 311 citations
• Coming Full Circle: Indigenous Knowledge, Environment, and Our Future · The American Indian Quarterly · 2004 · 303 citations
• An Anthropology of Knowledge · Current Anthropology · 2002 · 287 citations
• The right to research · Globalisation Societies and Education · 2006 · 280 citations

Most recent work

• Key lessons from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ farming systems: insights from a global review · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026
• Crediting and citing Indigenous Knowledges within research · BioScience · 2026
• Indigenous knowledge systems in the collaborative governance of wetlands conservation in rural areas of Zimbabwe · South African Geographical Journal · 2026
• Legitimising Indigenous knowledge systems as a pathway to sustainable development · Discover Education · 2026
• Implications of land uses and land cover conversion on soil quality in the lower Alwero watershed Gambela region Western Ethiopia · Discover Sustainability · 2026
• Integrating agronomy into the framework of Sustainable Development Goals: a review · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026
• Unlocking the ethnobotanical wisdom of millets: reviving ancient grains cultivation in the North Eastern Himalayan region of India for food, feed, fodder, and nutritional security · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026
• Indigenous agricultural communication systems as pathways for knowledge transfer and adoption of sustainable farming practices in rural Ghana · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026
• Indigenous knowledge for innovation and sustainable livelihood in Ghana’s informal economy · Discover Global Society · 2026
• African Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Environmental Stewardship Expressed through Folktales · Folklore · 2026

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