The Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development (CIKARD) at Iowa State University focuses its activities on preserving and using the local knowledge of farmers and other rural people around the globe. CIKARD was established at Iowa State University in October 1987 as part of ISU's Technology and Social Change Program. Its goal is to collect indigenous knowledge and make it available to development professionals and scientists. CIKARD concentrates on indigenous knowledge systems (such as local soil taxonomies), decision-making systems (such as knowledge of which crops are best suited to particular types of soils), organizational structures (such as farmers problem-solving groups), and innovations (such as local methods for pest control).



CIKARD's activities and current programs are based on the following objectives:

- to act as a global clearinghouse for collecting, documenting, and disseminating information on indigenous knowledge of agriculture, natural resource management, and rural development;

- to develop cost-effective and reliable methodologies for recording indigenous knowledge;

- to conduct training programs and design materials on indigenous knowledge for extension and other development workers;

- to conduct interdisciplinary research on indigenous knowledge systems;

- to promote the establishment of regional and national indigenous knowledge resource centers; and

- to formulate agricultural and natural resource management policies and design technical assistance programs based on indigenous knowledge.