Country and location: Chile, Chiloé Island, Región de Los Lagos (10^th Region)

Project title: “A conservation system to maintain the genetic wealth and the cultural heritage of the native potatoes of the Archipelago of Chiloé –Chile”

Proponent/requesting agency: Centro de Educación y Tecnología (CET)

Site: Chiloe Island

Area of GIAHS: 10,616 ha

Agricultural biodiversity:
Chiloe Island is one of the Vavilov centers of origin of crop diversity. It is a centre of origin of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), and a centre of mango (Bromus mango) and strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis). Some 200 documented varieties of native potatoes are still managed today, together with a variety of garlic (Ajo chilote) that is unique to the islands and its volcanic soils. The island supports an indigenous horse race, the hardy Caballo Chilote.

Associated biodiversity:
WWF has listed Chiloé Island as one of the 25 priority areas for ecosystem conservation in the world. Both primary and secondary temperate rainforest are found on Chiloé Island in the patchwork landscape shaped as a result of 10,000 years of co-evolution with human livelihoods. They hold a wide range of species including 15 rare to endangered bird species, 33 endemic species of amphibians (3 species are rare to endangered), 9 species of endemic mammals (all rare to endangered), and 4 species of vulnerable to endangered freshwater fish; Wild species provide fruit (8 species), dyes (9 species), ethno-medicines (41 species) and used for sculpture (5 species).

Indicator species:

Ecosystem functions:
Field hedges and the adjacent forests support pollinators and pest predators.
Seaweed and washed-up cuttlefish are used for soil improvement.

Ethnicity: Huilliche (indigenous), Mestize

Socio-economic and cultural characteristics:
Mainly subsistence production and production for local markets; farmers have not yet been able to fully benefit from opportunities offered by tourism.

The indigenous Huilliche are extremely marginalized. They are the poorest group on the island and lack secure title to their lands. Forest concessions and development of tourism facilities has taken place on their lands without compensation.

The mestize farmers have historically adopted the production systems of the indigenous communities and have many economic, social and cultural practices in common.

Growing cash needs have led to a dramatic out-flux of male labour from the agricultural sector, leading to losses of male labour and knowledge. Women, however, indicate a preference for continuing traditional farming practices and are interested in niche market opportunities.

Threats –main factors affecting the conservation of agricultural biodiversity:
The main impacts come from the timber industry, introduction of high yield crop varieties, fish farming for salmon (water pollution), and uncontrolled tourism. There is a proposal for a bridge from the mainland to the island for extractive forestry and large scale tourism.

The influence of conventional development policies, both social and agricultural, has lead to a loss of the identity of an island that had maintained its traditions for generations.

The manipulation of genetic material ultimately does not benefit the community of Chiloé, which had maintained traditional varieties at the heart of the sustainability and food security of the island. The industrial sector, through genetic engineering and patents, has developed and introduced other varieties of potato, thus controlling the genetic resources that now underpin the local agricultural economy.

Ironically, the loss of this genetic material happened because of the lack of importance that had been assigned to it by the local community, though for the scientific community it is of great interest because local potatoes have genes with characteristics (resistance to frosts, droughts, plagues and/or diseases) that can be used to improve the existing varieties. Currently there is a revival of interest in native potato varieties and the potato culture among farmers and consumers, which provides opportunities for conservation.

With respect to the previous point, the control and monopoly of industry of all the work of years that the community has done through the customs and the oral transmission of an ancestral practice, has lead to the exclusion of Chilotes from these resources. This situation is compounded by the departure of young people and their lack of interest for native potatoes. Thus, tradition is being lost, particularly in the case of children of people with more knowledge about the matter.

The indigenous Huilliche peoples do not have formal recognition of their ancestral territories, nor have the individual members of the community legal land titles that provide the secure tenure to invest in conservation. Their lands are often sold or leased for extractive forestry and tourism by the local government. Both biodiversity and the associated culture are lost.

Main objectives and activities in the pilot system:
The project objectives are: To encourage the public to recognize Chiloé as a source of culture, traditions and a wide genetic biodiversity, stimulate the sustainable development on the archipelago; and make the society aware of the importance of the protection and conservation of the biodiversity.

The first activity considers the articulation of institutions that promote this project, unifying criteria and adding human and economic resources. Next, the activities are framed within three areas: Direct work with the communities (educative workshops about culture and native biodiversity, transference of production technologies and traditions associated with them, and training of teachers and secondary students); research and development of productive systems; reinforcement of CET as a research and development centre that systematizes and keeps information related to the genetic material cultural, agronomic and commercial information, provides varieties to the farmers and gives technical support to them.

Promotion and creation of policies related to the biodiversity conservation (organization of seminars and conferences, to promote the native varieties at national level and sensitize and inform the community, with the purpose of generating interest in the authorities to create a political frame that protects the cultural legacy and the existing biodiversity in the Archipelago).