Taking an early first step for ethnobiological fieldwork

Through my own research experience in Bolivia, Mexico and Guatemala I became convinced of the importance of engaging communities and obtaining their consent before I start any “proper” fieldwork, and I decided to incorporate a component of “engaging communities” in my own research proposals. Highlighting the collaborative nature of ethnobiological research, to obtain free, prior and informed consent from the communities is a vital component of any study, understanding that the consent agreements should be alive and follow the research in all its phases, from data collecting until the presentation of results. Codes of ethics in ethnobiology mark the importance of this step; also national (in some cases) and international treaties legally regulate this component of research. I use my own experiences of creating these agreements to invite ethnobiologists to a wide discussion regarding our ethics on approaching the communities we work with.