Reciprocity ·
World Ayahuasca Forum 2026: a new time of alliance
Some of us from AYNI attended the Forum in Girona. We share what we took away: Indigenous peoples at the centre, reciprocity and a conversation still to be had about how we relate to this knowledge.
From 11 to 13 September, Girona hosted the World Ayahuasca Forum, organised by the Instituto Yorenka Tasorentsi, the Instituto Nixiwaka and ICEERS. Some of us from AYNI attended as participants. These lines set out what we took away, speaking as an association and without claiming to summarise such a wide-ranging gathering.
Indigenous peoples at the centre
The most significant aspect of the Forum was the way it was governed. The peoples who safeguard ayahuasca had already organised their own congresses, and ICEERS other world conferences; this was the first time they did it together, sharing decision-making power, in a model of co-design and co-management. There were delegations from some twenty Indigenous peoples.
One idea came up again and again in many forms: this is not about a substance, but about complex knowledge systems, bound up with territories, languages and ways of life.
Reciprocity, not extraction
The programme's main themes included Indigenous rights and intellectual property, cultural appropriation and biopiracy, safety and good practice, and rights-based regulatory models. For an association called AYNI, meaning reciprocity, the underlying question is uncomfortable and necessary: what do we give back?
We came away committed to continuing to give that answer concrete form: acknowledging origins, avoiding exoticisation, respecting the autonomy of Indigenous peoples and giving tangible support to their communities and territories.
Good practice and self-regulation
The Red Micelio Federation (FERM), of which we are part, had an information stand and took part in dialogue panels on ethics, care and community self-regulation. For us, this confirms that the way forward lies in shared criteria, transparency and shared responsibility.