Why Farmers Know More About Some Pests Than Others: Participatory Research in Integrated Pest Management with Honduran Campesinos

This paper discusses folk taxonomies (indigenous technical knowledge) about the natural environment. It argues that rich folk taxonomies and bodies of knowledge are developed for phenomena which are both important (i.e. useful or harmful) to people and conspicuous. Examples of taxonomic differentiation between species of bees and wasps by rural people in Honduras are discussed in detail. Crop diseases are an example of phenomena which are important but difficult to observe. The second part of the paper argues that these interactions between natural and intellectual environments call for farmer involvement in technology generation. However, since farmers' and scientists' folk taxonomies may emphasise different phenomena, there is scope both for learning from farmers and collaborative research. Scientists can help change farmers' notions by teaching, or introducing new concepts, but other types of knowledge may be harder to change.