THE CENTERS OF ORIGIN AS SPACES FOR DIALOGUE OF KNOWLEDGE

Abstract

Capitalism and colonization systematically extracted, persecuted, and destroyed the knowledge of the
original peoples. Today many authors argue the need for a new paradigm based on the dialogue of
knowledge, which reverses positivist cosification (Leff), claims traditional knowledge (Argueta), decolonizes
knowledge (Bautista) and establishes epistemic justice (De Sousa Santos). In this article we argue that since
Nicolai Vavílov put forward the theory of the centres of origin of cultivated plants, they have become an
important space for dialogue of knowledge between various scientific disciplines and the traditional
knowledge of numerous cultures on the conservation of wild and domesticated biodiversity. The beginning of
this dialogue sparked a scientific revolution, transformed the organization of knowledge and contributed
significantly to the birth of multiple ethnosciences. In this text we ask ourselves: how important is it for the
history of science to have the fact that the centres of origin have served as spaces for dialogue of knowledge?
What benefits has this dialogue of knowledge brought to various scientific fields? What are the main threats
to the continuity of the centres of origin? and finally, how could they protect themselves? To answer these
questions, we follow bibliographically the steps of Nikolai Vavílov, we integrate a wide body of authors
from many different disciplines who recognize contributions of traditional knowledge; the factors that
threaten them and the proposals to protect them. As a result, we proposed that the dialogue between scientists
and villagers in the centres of origin provoked a real scientific revolution, reorganized the fields of
knowledge and helped to base ethnosciences.