BIOCULTURAL HERITAGE, SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE CULTURAL PRODUCTIVE TRADITION AND ARTISANAL AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS OF THE AMERICAS
Sociotechnical systems of productive tradition in Latin America, which include, among others, the artisanal preparation of food and beverages, textile production, pottery, basketry, and other trades linked to biocultural heritage, operate within a constitutive tension between the preservation of ancestral knowledge and the contemporary demands of competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and business development. This tension is not merely cultural: it has direct implications for the organization of business models, community governance, natural resource management, and the innovation capacity of artisanal productive units.
This symposium calls for academic contributions examining, from interdisciplinary perspectives, the articulation between productive tradition, environmental impact, and sustainable business development within the context of cultural industries and artisanal agri-food systems in the Americas. The focus is not restricted to a particular type of product or sector: it encompasses any sociotechnical system in which artisanal production constitutes a vehicle for intergenerational knowledge transmission, territorial identity, and the generation of economic value grounded in cultural authenticity.
Specialized literature on innovation in food systems and cultural economics (Fonte, 2008; Tregear, 2011; Throsby, 2001) has shown that the valorization of traditional knowledge as a strategic asset can constitute a source of sustainable competitive advantage, provided it is accompanied by robust processes of organizational governance and efficient environmental management. Nevertheless, significant gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms through which artisanal producers transition toward sustainable business models without compromising the integrity of their cultural practices.
The symposium will structure its discussion around four analytical axes: (1) the intergenerational transmission of productive knowledge as a process of organizational learning and community intellectual capital; (2) the assessment of the environmental performance of artisanal productive units, with attention to natural resource use, waste generation, and circular economy practices; (3) sustainable business development models, including cultural tourism, designations of origin, and fair trade certifications, as mechanisms for positioning in differentiated markets; and (4) the role of innovation ecosystems and inter-institutional collaboration networks in strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of producer communities.
Researchers are invited to submit empirically grounded contributions, using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methodologies, addressing case studies situated in any region of the Americas. Papers may refer to agri-food systems, cultural industries, or any other field of artisanal production in which heritage, environmental sustainability, and business innovation converge.
The symposium aims to produce transferable recommendations for organizational management, the design of territorial development public policies, and the strengthening of inter-institutional academic networks in the region.
