Bolivia leads the way in recognizing custodian farmers as vital actors in on-farm conservation
The National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (INIAF Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal) has officially recognized custodian farmers as vital actors in the conservation of plant genetic resources.
| Custodian farmers have been included within the framework of the National Plant Genetic Resources System as a critical component of the in situ/on-farm conservation programme (see diagram below - translated from the Spanish version). As part of this important development, in situ conservation was stressed as being equally important and complementary to ex situ conservation for safeguarding plant genetic resources. |
Manifesto of gratitude
INIAF marked this formal recognition with the signing and presentation of the Manifesto of Gratitude to "Custodian Farmers of Agrobiodiversity" at a workshop held in La Paz on 30 April 2014. The manifesto expresses awareness and appreciation for the efforts of custodian farmers, who faced with physical, social, and cultural challenges throughout history have nevertheless safeguarded agricultural biodiversity, ensuring the continued availability of these strategic resources for food security and food sovereignty of the Bolivian people.
An important milestone
This is the first example of farmers being officially recognized as equal actors to gene bank managers in conserving agricultural biodiversity of which we are aware. The inclusion of custodian farmers in the national conservation structure of INIAF is an important development that we hope will be a leading example for other Governments.
A key contribution in this development was made by the project, which supported initiation and development of the custodian farmer network through a strategic partnership between the Foundation for the Promotion and Research of Andean Products (PROINPA Fundación para la Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos) and Bioversity International.
For more information, read the full press release on the Bioversity International webpage (available in English and Spanish), as well as the article published in Leisa magazine by PROINPA scientists Wilfredo Rojas, Milton Pinta and Juana Flores along with Bioversity International's Stefano Padulosi.
Related publications
- Manifesto of Gratitude to "Custodian Farmers of Agrobiodiversity". INIAF 2014 (Also in Spanish).
- Los agricultores custodios y los bancos comunitarios de semilla. Rojas et al 2014.
- Towards a better understanding of custodian farmers and their roles: insights from a case study in Cachilaya, Bolivia. Gruberg et al. 2013 (also in Spanish).