Modern Ethnobotany is a product of historical changes occurring inside and outside of the academy. The following article aimed to trace the trajectory and tendencies of Ethnobotany in Brazil. For this purpose, a review was performed of works which were developed by Brazilian researchers between 1968-2007, and published in scientific journals of either national or international scope and during national events. The article discusses the development of Ethnobotany and the increased value of the knowledge of non-industrialized peoples. In this context, the influences that stand out are changes in scientific and economic interests during the period evaluated and, especially, the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The development of Ethnobotany had an impact on Brazilian scientific production and caused a notable increase of works in this knowledge area, yet with the predominance of studies still regarding medicinal plants and/or descriptive approaches. Finally, we discuss the current situation in Brazilian Ethnobotany, in the context of the legal regulations determined by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
economic botany; ethnobiology; ethnobotany history; ethnoecology; Latin America; traditional knowledge
