Who Owns Knowledge? The Dangers of Parachute Science in West African Forest Research

In the vast tropical landscapes of West Africa, the forest is not just a carbon sink or biodiversity hotspot — it is home, heritage, and lifeline. Yet much of the scientific work conducted in these regions is often shaped by actors far removed from their realities.

Parachute science — the practice where researchers from the Global North “drop in” to conduct studies with minimal local collaboration or long-term engagement — remains a pervasive problem in forest research. The result? Data extracted without context, reports that fail to resonate locally, and recommendations that do not align with lived realities.

But the issue runs deeper. It begs a fundamental question: Who owns knowledge?

Local communities and researchers in West Africa have deep, place-based understandings of forest dynamics, degradation patterns, and resilience strategies. These knowledges — rich, experiential, and often orally transmitted — are rarely valued on the same footing as satellite metrics or peer-reviewed outputs. This marginalization undermines not just epistemic justice but the effectiveness of conservation and policy interventions.

Reframing forest research in West Africa requires a commitment to co-production of knowledge, equitable partnerships, and capacity building. It also means recognizing that mapping a forest is not just a technical exercise — it’s a political act.

Let’s challenge the extractive legacies of environmental science. Let’s build research that listens before it measures, collaborates before it concludes, and shares before it publishes.

This post draws on experiences from the SUSTAINFORESTS project and recent reflections on integrating local narratives with satellite observations.

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