There is a growing appreciation of the value of traditional knowledge on biodiversity. This knowledge is valuable not only to those who depend on it in their daily lives, but to modern industry and agriculture as well. Many widely used products, such as plant-based medicines, health products and cosmetics, are derived from traditional knowledge. Other valuable products based on traditional knowledge include agricultural and non-wood forest products and handicrafts.

Traditional knowledge can make a significant contribution to sustainable development. Most indigenous and local communities are situated in areas where the vast majority of the world's genetic resources are found. Many of them have cultivated and used biological diversity in a sustainable way for thousands of years. Some of their practices have been proven to enhance and promote biodiversity at the local level and aid in maintaining healthy ecosystems. However, the contribution of indigenous and local communities to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity goes far beyond their role as natural resource managers. Their skills and techniques provide valuable information to the global community and a useful model for biodiversity policies. Furthermore, as on-site communities with extensive knowledge of local environments, indigenous and local communities are most directly involved with conservation and sustainable use.

The CBD Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Indicators noted that additional indicators, further to ‘Status and trends of linguistic diversity and numbers of speakers of indigenous languages’, relating more specifically to indigenous knowledge, innovations and practices should also be developed. 

The responsibility for appropriate indicators was passed to the CBD Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions, and led to the formation of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) Working Group on Indicators. This Working Group, following a series of regional and thematic workshops, has proposed the following indicators for adoption by the CBD:
 

a) Status and trends in the practice of traditional occupations;
b) Status and trends in land-use patterns in the traditional territories of indigenous and local communities;
c) Demographic trends based on disaggregated data on the basis of gender and ethnicity in national census and statistics;
d) Status on Trends in the Practice of Traditional Occupations.