La chagra de la vida: Plant intelligence as becomings

Abstract

The Amazonian Chagra is more than a food and medicinal garden—it is a site of mutualism where plants and humans co-create, communicate, and shape their shared environment. Rooted in Indigenous agroforestry, the Chagra fosters biocultural sovereignty through embodied exchanges of care, healing, and knowledge. This article explores plant intelligence beyond problem-solving, emphasizing meaning-making and intelligibility. Through fieldwork in Putumayo, I examine how plants and humans engage in reciprocal acts that shape land-use practices, sustain ecological balance, and redefine interspecies agency.