Lecture Description
This lecture is informed by both theoretical and practical aspects, as it is connected to Doctoral Research at the University of Helsinki's Institute of Sustainability Science and experience within a family of coffee growers who are members of the Seed Guardians Network of Colombia.
The purpose of the lecture is to present the connection between practices of conservation of agrobiodiversity amongst coffee smallholders and Indigenous and Ancestral Knowledges. Harnessing evidence from 70 interviews and conversational circles implemented amongst smallholders of south-western Colombia, agriculture is shown to have grown beyond an economic activity, acquiring a political underpinning linked to the protection of the ontologies of the territory.
Lastly, by applying a Political Ontology framework (Blaser, 2008; Gutiérrez, 2016), the ontologies based on Indigenous and Ancestral Knowledges are shown to be fundamental for seed saving and agroecology practices of coffee smallholders in south-western Colombia.
Most importantly, such ontologies are presented as guidance for implementing sustainable practices amongst coffee growers that can transcend a nature-culture dualism, which has historically instrumentalized nature in favor of an anthropocentric view of all ecosystems and living things.
Date: Friday, June 26, 2026
Time: 14:00 - 14:45
Location: Room 1122
Category: Sustainability
Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat.
Speaker
David Caicedo Sarralde
Doctoral Researcher and Activist, University of Helsinki - Seed Guardians Network of Colombia
David Caicedo Sarralde is a doctoral researcher in Sustainability Transformations (Sus Tra), and an activist in seed saving practices, currently a core member of the Management Committee of the Seed Guardians Network of Colombia (https://www.colombia-redsemillas.org/). David is an economist and political scientist of the Pontifical Javeriana University with an MSc. in Politics, Economics and Philosophy from Hamburg University. His doctoral program is in humanities and is attached to the department of cultures of the University of Helsinki. Lastly, David has a background in advocacy leadership, and projects and stakeholder management of six years working alongside coffee smallholders in Colombia and members of the coffee value chain.