Abandonment of sustainable traditions

Abandonment of traditional practices by local communities

Nature

Abandonment of sustainable traditions refers to the widespread discontinuation of long-established practices that promote environmental balance, resource conservation, and social cohesion. This problem often arises due to modernization, urbanization, and globalization, leading communities to replace sustainable methods with less eco-friendly alternatives. The loss of such traditions can result in increased resource depletion, environmental degradation, and erosion of cultural identity. Furthermore, abandoning sustainable practices undermines local resilience to climate change and disrupts intergenerational knowledge transfer, posing significant challenges to both ecological sustainability and cultural heritage preservation.

Background

The abandonment of sustainable traditions emerged as a global concern in the mid-20th century, as rapid industrialization and modernization led to the erosion of long-standing ecological practices. Anthropologists and environmentalists first highlighted the issue when documenting the loss of indigenous knowledge systems and their impact on resource management. Subsequent international forums, such as the 1992 Earth Summit, underscored the significance of traditional sustainability, prompting further research into its decline and implications for environmental resilience.

Incidence

The abandonment of sustainable traditions has been observed across diverse regions, particularly among indigenous and rural communities facing modernization pressures. This trend is evident in the decline of traditional agricultural practices, water management systems, and resource-sharing customs, contributing to environmental degradation and loss of cultural heritage. The scale of this problem is global, affecting ecosystems and livelihoods from the Amazon rainforest to Southeast Asian rice terraces, as communities shift towards industrialized methods and urban lifestyles.
In 2022, in the Peruvian Andes, local farmers increasingly abandoned the ancient practice of terraced farming in favor of commercial monocultures. This shift led to soil erosion, reduced crop diversity, and heightened vulnerability to climate change impacts.

Claim

An increasing number of indigenous, peasant and local communities are abandoning sustainable traditions in favour of destructive modern activities.

Counter-claim

Present-day traditional societies are to a large extent part of the global economy and have lost many of their traditional cultural values. It is unfair to expect them to continue using traditional, low-impact subsistence technologies and strategies.

Local communities are more likely to employ sustainable practices when they enjoy territorial security and local autonomy.