Los valores de la naturaleza para las mujeres productoras de vainilla: una aproximación relacional a la conservación

The role of women in biocultural diversity conservation, as creators and transmitters of knowledge and ethical values ​​toward nature, has historically been rendered invisible. In this study, we analyze the relational values ​​of traditional women vanilla producers in Papantla (Veracruz, Mexico), identifying their role in environmental stewardship and biodiversity conservation. We draw on the conceptual framework developed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to critically evaluate its applicability in Indigenous contexts. Through participants’ narratives and relationality, we defined seven analytical categories that make visible the care of the vanilla and forest agroecosystem as a spiritual and sacred space, grounded in knowledges, emotions, and spirituality—elements that guide that care. The findings reveal that these ontologies operate under a logic distinct from the instrumental view of nature. We conclude that integrating environmental relationality and fostering inter-epistemic dialogues between Western science and Indigenous peoples are essential for designing ethical, just, and contextualized conservation policies in the face of the current socio-environmental crisis.