Care Matters: Reflections on the Conservation of Rice Landraces in Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

Abstract

This paper responds to Annemarie Mol's invitation in The Logic of Care, drawing upon and expanding Fisher and Tronto's concept of care. Through practices surrounding rice landraces in a village in Yunnan Province, China, it elaborates on three dimensions of care. The article argues that care acknowledges heterogeneous temporal regimes, treats non-human actors as community members, and as dynamic relational process characterized by openness and complexity—one that avoids fixing caregivers and recipients of care in rigid, static positions. It also reflects on the limitations of the dynamic conservation discourse within Agricultural Heritage Systems, advocating for thinking and acting alongside care to explore alternative possibilities for Agricultural Heritage Systems research.