Potato Guardian Network
Lead Organization:
Grupo Yanapai
Community of Practice:
Countries:
Peru
Duration:
5/2019—5/2022
Overview:
This project strengthens farmer self-organization as the foundation for innovation related to the in-situ conservation of landraces and derived benefits. Yanapai will work with AGUAPAN to include action research through a farmer innovation network. The project seeks to document and support the genetic, social, and cultural patrimony maintained by AGUAPAN while enhancing its institutional learning. The project registers biocultural characteristics of potato landraces in an online catalog, including morphology, agronomical characteristics, plant imagery, culinary use, traditional know-how, seed systems. On-farm experimentation and training in agroecological intensification methods will address pests and diseases; soil fertility; and seed selection and multiplication, storage, and distribution (farmer seed systems). The work will include an in-depth seed systems characterization and niche market innovation through direct marketing using smartphone and internet networks to link custodian farmers with consumers. Market innovations will include pick-up points in the city, an online ordering portal and an App for customer orders and delivery options. This engages and empowers young community members and migrants living in cities while providing income for custodians. Lastly, the project strengthens the collective capacity of AGUAPAN for self-representation and organization.
Grant Aims:
This project aims to strengthen farmer self-organization as the foundation for innovation for the in-situ conservation of potato landraces and derived benefits.
Outputs and Outcomes:
Systematically register and thus protect the potato diversity conserved by custodian farmers, adapt crop management to environmental change and the quality standards of niche market using AEI principles, assure the continuity of varietal diversity in time through farmer seed procurement, and contextualized scaling through networks, differentiate custodians´ genetic capital and meet the aspirations of young farmers through innovative market linkages.
For more information see:
https://www.rtb.cgiar.org/news/guardians-of-the-native-potato-5th-annual-assembly-of-aguapan
The Guardians of the Potato: The future of potato biodiversity is in their hands