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The last decade has shown an increase in research on ethnopedology, the study of local soil knowledge, as such studies have shown their utility for land management. But such studies have rarely moved beyond the 'local' because by definition they are site specific. Our paper compares two similar ecological settings in South America, the Amazon and Orinoco River floodplains, where indigenous peasantries demonstrate a similar knowledge base about the soils they farm. Our results indicate that there are at least three categories of convergence of knowledge about soils and their management namely: i) soil classification and associated land use, ii) use and management of vegetation, and iii) management of sediment quantity and quality into agricultural fields. This permits us to conclude that the evolution of ecological knowledge related to soils and their management, held by local people in similar environments, is based on global principles and not primarily constrained by local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]