GIAHS pilot systems and sites

Chiloé Agriculture (Chile)

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The Archipelago of Chiloé, in the south of Chile, is one of the center of origin of potatoes and is an extraordinary biodiversity reserve: its temperate rainforests hold a wide range of endangered plant and animal species. The Chilotes -Huilliche indigenous populations and Mestize- still cultivate about 200 varieties of native potatoes, following ancestral practices transmitted orally by generations of farmers, mostly women. However, new income generating activities, such as intensive fish farming in the island lakes and inner sea, are leading to a dramatic out-fluxing of male and female labour from the agricultural sector and, consequently, to the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices.

These changes seriously jeopardize biodiversity conservation activities that are beneficial not only to Chilotes, but also to global genetic biodiversity. The GIAHS project will help to design politics for recognition and conservation of these resources in which rural and indigenous communities play an active role and are recognized as the main custodians of this treasure of humanity.

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