Psychoactive Plants in a Globalised World: Political, Cultural and Economic Perspectives

Description

This half-day symposium brings together Indigenous experts from Peru, Mexico, and Brazil — working with peyote, ayahuasca, and coca in traditional contexts — alongside researchers, facilitators, and entrepreneurs from the Dutch psychedelic landscape. As psychoactive plants move increasingly into mainstream therapy, commerce, and policy, tensions around commodification, cultural appropriation, ecological sustainability, and biopiracy grow more visible. Yet meaningful dialogue between Indigenous communities and the Global North remains rare: Indigenous perspectives on how this global expansion affects their territories and traditions are often overlooked, while the realities of regulation and market dynamics in Europe may be equally unfamiliar in plant-origin communities. Rather than staging a polarised debate, this event creates space for a constructive exchange — exploring how reciprocity, cultural continuity, and equitable access can be taken seriously in an increasingly interconnected world.