Ecological community: Heterarchical organization in a contemporary agri-food system in Northern Andes


Abstract:

Andean-based archeological evidence suggests the existence of heterarchical pre-Columbian societies organized as egalitarian and resource-specialized communities with the capacity to create and maintain intensive productive systems. Using Stark's analytical framework, we explore the current heterarchical organization of the indigenous Ecuadorian community of Caliata in the context of local cosmovision, identity, and customary institutions. Caliata's heterarchy is expressed by distributed intelligence through diverse and specialized organizational units that are in constant negotiation in order to reach consensus and to procure optimal responses to uncertainty. The organizational factors at play in mobilizing agri-food systems are key to understanding ancient technologies currently used to support sustainable food security.

Año de publicación:

2021

Keywords:

  • Ancient terraces
  • Agri-food system
  • Ecological community
  • Heterarchy
  • indigenous people
  • Sustainable

Fuente:

scopusscopus

Tipo de documento:

Article

Estado:

Acceso restringido

Áreas de conocimiento:

  • Ciencias Agrícolas
  • Agricultura

Áreas temáticas:

  • Economía de la tierra y la energía