‘There’s no transfer of knowledge, it’s all one way’ - the importance of integrating local knowledge and fostering knowledge sharing practices in natural resource utilization

The use and management of natural resources, whether for tourism, farming or other developments, is often the source of tension and conflict. The recognition of resources and landscapes as being of economic, social or cultural significance very often present contrasting values and demands within and between different stakeholders. In this chapter, the focus is on local knowledge, what it is, from whom it derives and its place in the decision-making process. In particular, the chapter draws on elements of policy, on qualitative interview materials from farmers in the West of Ireland and from focus groups with tourism stakeholders in Iceland. The chapter concludes by emphasizing that local knowledge is a valuable resource and unquestionably has a role to play in rural sustainability. Further, the chapter argues that there is a need for targeted policy interventions and management practices that are derived in conjunction with local stakeholders and appropriate to the landscapes in which they are rolled out.