In the Sacred Valley, Quechua communities created a Potato Park. In collaboration with the largest state-of-the-art in vitro gene bank in the world, they are racing to record and grow the genetic diversity of native potatoes; to ensure that it does not vanish as suddenly as the Inca Empire.

Will they succeed to protect one billion people against monoculture, diseases, desertification and climate change?

The Andean region is the world’s center for potato domestication. Since the early 2000s, scientists and Quechua communities are racing to record and preserve the genetic diversity of native potatoes; to ensure that it does not vanish as suddenly as the Inca Empire. While building the largest state-of-the-art in vitro gene bank in the world, six communities are conserving the native potatoes in a potato park. Here, the combination of traditional knowledge and modern technologies, ex-situ and on-the-ground banks, works to ensure the continuity of modern world agriculture.

In the birthplace of potatoes

Recognized as the birthplace of the potato, the Cuzco region contains the greatest diversity of potatoes in the world. Conferred by 7000 years of evolution, the varieties of potatoes cover infinite forms, sizes, flavors and colors (from untainted white to deep purple). The diversity is so high that a single farm in the potato park of Cuzco can host up to 150 varieties.

Facing new challenges while preventing History from repeating itself

The history of famines provides a bleak warning for the need to maintain genetic diversity in our staple food plants. Potato biodiversity is now under many threats; from monoculture, climate change, desertification, disease, deforestation, demographic explosion and urban expansion. Back in the 19th century, Ireland relied heavily on a few varieties of potatoes. When the blight destroyed the 1845-1846 potato crop, widespread famine followed. An estimated one million people starved to death and more than a million were forced to migrate abroad.

The world’s largest bank of potato genetic resources in the world

The International Potato Centre (IPC) maintains the world’s largest bank of potato genetic resources (germplasm) in the world.  It conserves in trust more than 7180 samples of potatoes, 6500 samples of sweet potatoes and around 1556 samples of nine species of Andean roots and tubers.  The techniques of conservation range from: in vitro conservation (in tubes) to cryoconservation (in liquid nitrogen), and black boxes (protected from light) to germoplasm (plantations) in the country side. The IPC provides genetic material (purified from viruses and bacteria) that is cost-free for developing countries and for a cost to developed countries.

Returning genetic resources to small farmers communities: the potato park example

The potato park is a “living library” of potato genetic diversity. Under a caucus, supervised by the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Center returned lost varieties of potato genetic resources to the six communities of the potato park. The park is becoming a model for conservation of sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, thanks to the work of conservationists such as; the Association for Nature and Sustainable Development (ANDES) and six indigenous communities. The goal is to reestablish all the world’s known potato varieties in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, allowing the park to function as a second centre of origin for this vital staple crop.

In regards to this collaborative example of genetic diversity conservation, it becomes apparent that the best food security protection system combines ex-situ crop conservation banks with on-the-ground conservation pools by farmers. A global strategy for crop conservation is actually being implemented since the biggest challenges are to reduce poverty and to ensure humanity will have food for the future generations.