Much of the interest in indigenous perceptions and practices falls under the category of indigenous technical knowledge (ITK). This is a concept that anthropologists and geographers developed to describe the detailed local knowledge about the environment and land use that is part of many indigenous cultures.
Highly localized knowledge about environmental conditions and sustainable land-use practices.
Geographer Paul Richards, for example, suggested that ITK is, in many cases, superior to Western scientific knowledge and, therefore, should be considered in environmental management and agricultural planning. For example, in his study of West African cultures, Indigenous Agricultural Revolution, Richards documented the subtle and extensive knowledge about local soils, climate, and plant life. This local-scale knowledge provides the foundation for people to experiment with new crops and agricultural techniques while also allowing them to adjust successfully to changing social and environmental conditions.