As part of our transdisciplinary research project, “Biocultural Diversity in Agricultural Landscapes of the Global South,” we are delighted to present a new book publication: “Poetic Intervention from the Bodies-Territories of Chiquitanía”.

This book features the poems created by Chiquitano Indigenous women leaders, reflecting on the impacts of the environmental destruction on Indigenous lands in the Chiquitanía region of Bolivia. The poems were collaborative written through a Poetic Inquiry intervention facilitated by Isabel Díaz Reviriego and Rosa Pachuri, and are illustrated Jan Hanspach.

This poetic anthology offers profound insights into the human dimensions of ecological crises, capturing the experiences of Indigenous women environmental defenders amid the devastation caused by unprecedented forest fires. In 2024, forest fires in Bolivia broke all historical records, destroying over 12 million hectares – fueled by rampant deforestation driven by large-scale intensive monoculture agriculture and cattle ranching.

By bridging art and science, these poems provide a nuanced understanding of the environmental challenges that Bolivia currently faces. They represent a commitment to ancestral knowledge and biocultural diversity, honoring the voices of Chiquitano women as active agents exposing the dispossession of their territories of life.

This work is the result of our collaboration with the Regional Organization of Indigenous Chiquitano Women (ORMICH), which represents Indigenous women from various grassroots organizations throughout the Chiquitanía region and urban municipalities in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. ORMICH continuously advocates for and defends territorial and Indigenous women’s rights, guided by ancestral knowledge and cultural identity.

We hope that this innovative approach to knowledge co-creation and dissemination will enhance public understanding of environmental justice issues, highlight the critical importance of biocultural diversity, and amplify Indigenous women voices advocating for sustainability. It underscores the urgent need for respectful and inclusive methodologies in addressing complex socio-environmental challenges.