Indigenous Peoples' Climate Change Assessment
Fact Sheet Potato Park
Name of the Communities:
Quechua Communities of Cuyo Grande, Amaru, Sacaca, Chawaytire, Pampallacta, and Paru Paru
Organization:
La Asociación de Comunidades del Parque de la Papa (The Association of Communities of the Potato Park)
Geographical Location:
The Potato Park is located 45 km from the city of Cusco, Peru, in the Yanamayo micro-basin. The communities of The Park are found in the high region of the Pisac district, 15 km from the city center. The Park has an approximate area of 9,280 hectares, and is located at the coordinates: 71º46’37” W, 13º 23’ 22”S. Additionally, it is found between altitudes of 3,150 – 4,760 masl.
Ecosystem/biome:
Mountain
Socioecological Data:
The Potato Park has approximately 6,500 inhabitants. Livelihoods in The Park include collectives of gastronomy, handicrafts, guinea pig breeding, agro-ecotourism and guiding, health and medicinal plants, communication and video, botanical gardens, and native potato repatriation.
Ecosystem Services include: cultural services (spirituality, traditional knowledge); provisioning services (water, food, medicines); supporting services (soil, primary production, pollination), and preserving services (biocultural diversity, sustainable management).
Relevance for the assessment/livelihoods/food systems:
The people of the Potato Park live intimately with their ecosystem and rely on it to sustain themselves. The Andes, is considered to be one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate change. Changes in the climate will directly affect crops, and therefore, the livelihood of people of The Park. Additionally, The Potato Park is considered to be a micro-gene center for potato origin and diversity.
Current climate trends (threats, etc.):
The rainy season is between November and April, with temperatures ranging from 5°C to 24°C. The dry season begins in May, ends in October, and temperatures range from -5°C to 20°C.
Recently the Andes, have been suffering from high climatic variability, prolonged droughts, rain accompanied by hail, and lightening. The changing climate threatens the livelihoods of the communities of The Potato Park with a diminishing water supply and the possibility of loss of land in which to plant potatoes. (Because of the warming climate, the potatoes have been rising in altitudes. However, soon, there will be no place higher to plant).
Proposed Focus of the Assessment:
The focus of the assessment in The Potato Park will be agrobiodiversity and local food systems. Additionally, the assessment will take into account the role that socio-cultural-ecological systems play in this complex system. Special focus will be paid to the potato, as symbolic resource of the system.
Traditional Potato Farmers in Paru Paru. The potatoes have already climbed to very high altitudes and have little room left to go.
Sicknesses are increasing in potatoes as the climate changes. This potato is covered in warts (verruga).
Snow cover in the mountains is decreasing with the warming climate. In the near future, this will lead to a water shortage, as mountain glaciers are the main source of water for the region.