A&S Professor Helping Shape Global Environmental Policies
For millions around the world, degradation of their land due to factors like climate change, deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable farming practices have caused harm to both human health and the environment. Desertification, which is when fertile land turns into desert because of natural and human factors, can lead to food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and forced migration. In December 2024, the United Nations hosted a conference in Saudi Arabia, bringing together leading environmental experts and policymakers from around the globe to discuss strategies for combating desertification and safeguarding both the environment and human well-being.
(Quechua, Peru), an Indigenous scholar and assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, gave three talks during the 11-day United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Huambachano is among the faculty in A&S鈥 . She teaches courses that include Food Fights and Treaty Rights, Indigenous Food Cosmologies and Reclaiming Indigenous Intellectual Sovereignty.
Huambachano鈥檚 talks came during the UNCCD鈥檚 . An internationally recognized scholar of Indigenous food sovereignty, Huambachano researches and advocates for Indigenous peoples鈥 rights to control their own food systems. In August 2024, she published “” (University of California Press), based on 10 years of fieldwork with the Quechua of Peru and M膩ori of New Zealand. The book explores their philosophies on well-being, food sovereignty, traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable food systems.
During the conference, she spoke on the importance of recognizing and integrating Indigenous knowledge into climate change policy development. She also highlighted how Indigenous values foster healthy land, safeguard biodiversity and enhance climate resilience.
鈥淚 provided examples drawn from my years of work on the value of integrating Indigenous science in improving sustainable food systems,鈥 Huambachano says. 鈥淲e have been informed that the policy recommendation we presented has been endorsed by the host country, Saudi Arabia. I am particularly happy to see that Indigenous science, innovation and practices are being recognized internationally.鈥
This is Huambachano’s fifth distinguished appointment to a United Nations High-Level Panel, showcasing her expertise and commitment to global issues. .
