The conceptual potential of ‘more-than-human care’: A reflection with an artisanal fishing village in Brazil

Abstract

As dominant approaches to biodiversity loss and climate change continue to fail in mitigating current socio-environmental crises, scholars and activists are exploring novel conceptual frameworks to drive transformative change in conservation. Among these, more-than-human care has emerged as a concept at the intersection of feminist debates about care and post-humanist discussions around the more-than-human. Although more-than-human care is increasingly referenced in the literature, it remains sparsely situated in the Global South. This article investigates the concept's potential to articulate care relations that can foster more plural, respectful, and transformative biodiversity conservation practices in local communities. Our research is situated in an artisanal fishing village in Brazil, where we engaged with both human and non-human members of the community to engage with their perspectives on more-than-human care and its relevance to their local concerns. From our analysis, four key dimensions emerged: the vital and everyday nature of caring; the relationality between humans and non-humans; reciprocity; and the fostering of flourishing for as many as possible. Our core argument is that the interaction between community practices and care theory enables new perspectives that center on daily and reciprocal care relations often overlooked in mainstream conservation approaches. By situating the conceptual potential of more-than-human care within the Global South, we underscore its ability to make the invisible visible and to inspire action for transformative change.