In
Peru, many traditional varieties of crops continue to be cultivated
not only because they are adapted to extreme climates and marginal
soils, but because their physical traits, tastes, or qualities
serve particular cultural functions. The genetic diversity of potatoes
(Solanum spp.) is shaped by farmer selection for culturally specific
crop uses, social relationships that regulate seed exchange and
traditional agronomic management practices. The purpose of my research
was to develop an understanding of the relationship between the
conservation of potato varieties and local social factors. Important
factors include markets, cultural knowledge and agronomic practices,
as well as seed exchange patterns.
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| Campesino
examining native variety stored under a hay stack -- the
traditional method of storage in the high-altitude jalca. |
There
were two primary focuses to my research. The first was to become
familiar with both the improved and local potato varieties grown
in Cajamarca as well as their role in local farming systems. The
second was to understand which social and economic factors contribute
to or detract from the conservation of native potato varieties.
The insights I gained in the field led me to further examine ways
to support local initiatives in management and conservation of
native crop varieties, particularly through the use of seed fairs. My
travel in Peru lasted approximately eight weeks, from June 10 through
August 3. Five weeks of this time was spent in Cajamarca conducting
fieldwork. During the remaining three weeks I made two trips into
Lima to meet with Mario Tapia of the Centro International de la
Papa (CIP), as well as a number of local specialists who supplied
me with additional information related to agroecology, potato diversity
and seed fairs. During these trips I visited the libraries of both
CIP and CIED (Centro Internacional de Educación y Desarrollo)
for information about Cajamarca's potato varieties. Finally after
completing my fieldwork, I made a short visit to the CIED office
in Puno, Peru, which provided me with a unique opportunity to view
regional differences in potato diversity, as well as in the cultural
factors underlying potato production.
 |
| Un
montón de papa -- campesino with the harvest of improved
varieties to be subdivied by the minga or collective work
group. |
My
research methodology involved the comparison of potato conservation
in the communities of watersheds located within three different
subdistricts in the province of Cajamarca. Through the selection
of communities with differing market influences, cultural histories
and economic situations, I gained an understanding of the most
important factors affecting local conservation of native potato
varieties. The areas where I chose to work were also home to branches
of Centro IDEAS and CEDEPAS, NGOs which frequently act in partnership
with CIED. CIED is a national NGO responsible for the implementation
of projects developed by Sustainable Agriculture Networking and
Extension (SANE). These NGOs played an essential role in my fieldwork,
providing me with transport, logistical support, local contacts,
and technical expertise.
 |
| Traditional
potatoe varieties conserved by a single farmer in San Marcos |
Four
of the five weeks spent in Cajamarca were divided between the sub-districts
of Banos del Inca, Chetilla, and San Marcos where I made daily
trips into the field to interview campesinos about their potato
production. Chetilla is particularly important in terms of its
cultural history as a community transplanted to the area from Ecuador
during Inca rule, and currently one of the few areas in Cajamarca
where Quechua is still spoken. San Marcos on the other hand, is
a sub-district where the market plays a strong role in decisions
regarding the production of crops. I conducted ten interviews in
each of the three sub-districts which I am currently analyzing
in order to determine what are the important influences on the
conservation of local varieties. I have concluded from my research
that Cajamarca has already experienced a great deal of "genetic
erosion", or the loss of traditional varieties and knowledge
related to their production. Furthermore, the development of regional
markets has had a strong impact on the production of native varieties,
which are mostly grown for home consumption. While some conservation
currently takes place on an individual scale and some farmers conserve
as many as 200 varieties in a single plot, very little seed exchange
taking place outside of family networks. This complicates the process
of reviving the social mechanisms such as gift-giving and collective
labor which once contributed to the exchange of traditional crop
varieties.
In
addition to conducting interviews, during my fieldwork I was able
to participate in a monthly ecological market held by a consortium
of farmers in Cajamarca, and in a biannual seed fair held in a
community in San Marcos. These events not only contributed to my
understanding of the ways in which different kinds of seeds are
managed within communities and markets, but also led me to start
examining the kinds of tools that could be used to promote local
biodiversity conservation. I intend to return to Cajamarca to conduct
doctoral studies related to the use of seed fairs as a mechanism
for supporting traditional systems of information and germplasm
exchange. I would also like to continue working to document and
map local potato varieties in order to get a sense of their patterns
of movement across physical and social landscapes. The research
I conducted with the Tinker Travel Grant gave me a new understanding
of the important factors affecting conservation, and an introduction
to techniques for fieldwork in Peru. Both of these are central
to my Master's Degree and will serve as an important foundation
for my future studies.
Amanda
King is an MS student in the Department of Environmental Science,
Policy, and Management
