Local knowledge can be defined as dynamic and complex bodies of know-how, practices and skills that are developed and sustained by peoples/communities with shared histories and experiences.

All communities develop specific skills and acquire certain information that allows them to survive and master their everyday life.  This collective wisdom or local knowledge often shapes and defines individuals and the communities in which they live.  Passed down from generation to generation, this collective knowledge helps to identify the relationships between people, place and nature and forms the economic, social and spiritual foundation of a community or culture.

Local knowledge is seen as the primary basis for community decision-making in such areas as agriculture, food preparation, education and resource management and is viewed as essential in sustained development within a community.

In our role of supporting communities as they develop sustainable, community-based food systems, the Mott Group relies on the local knowledge and values of a community to guide the direction and development of growth and change.  This requires an approach to information gathering that includes “sitting, listening and learning”.  It is our belief that honoring and incorporating a community’s local knowledge into the development process is the only way to affect long-term, sustainable growth/progress.