Competent use of high value Andean crops (ANDESCROP)

Project summary

Food security in the Andes is low due to extremely harsh climatic conditions, poor soils, and a high poverty levels. The project objective is to improve food security in the Andean region by developing methods for sustainable use of Andean plant genetic resources, soil, water and biodiversity, and by linking small-scale producers to modern markets. The project will strengthen local research capacity and develop human resources for continued and innovative research and development in the Andean crops. Field studies will be carried out together with national research institutions, and in farmers' communities, to ensure participation, relevance and accept of the project. We will provide high research standards and develop a local research platform in concordance with and building upon available local knowledge of the environmentally limiting factors. To do this, we will predominantly concentrate on on-farm participatory experiments. This focus is in concordance with local preferences. Local knowledge of the Andean crops, their genetic resources and their traditional use will form an integral part of the study. Specific objectives will be examine access to high quality seeds and development of integrated crop management strategies. The project intends to increase use of the crops by developing processing and marketing at domestic and international markets, by involving stakeholders to develop business models that can improve food security and income when producing high value Andean crops. The project will be co-ordinated jointly by LIFE and UMSA, the Bolivian counterpart. The project has been divided into three major themes and in total ten workpackages, each with a Bolivian and Danish responsible scientist, working closely together. The communication strategy uses several channels: field days every year in each major region, stakeholder meetings and scientific and popular publications. A webpage will be established: (www.andescrop.life.ku.dk).

Outputs

Completion Report - Summary:

The ANDESCROP project by the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen; Faculty of Agronomy of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés and the Foundation for the Promotion and Research of Andean Products-Proinpa, had the objective of identifying sustainable solutions to the main problems of production and marketing of quinoa, Andean lupine, cañahua,ajipa, native potatoes and oca. The project contributed to strengthen the capacities of research of students from undergraduate, master's and PhD levels. Fieldwork was conducted using participatory research in communities of the Northern, Central and Southern Altiplano; and Inter-Andean valleys of Bolivia. The project was organized into three workpackages: a) Agrobiodiversity richness, which collected and systematized the traditional knowledge associated with agricultural biodiversity management and seed selection. b) Organic Farming, which through a comprehensive approach conducted studies on soil fertility and organic fertilizers; local strategies for pest control through natural enemies and the use of biomarkers and bioinputs (Biol, Vigortop and Nitrofoska); based on this, a plan of Integrated Pest Management was developed for quinoa. c) Food security and socio economy. Different value chains of crops were studied, as well as the possibilities for linking small producers to formal markets such as the public food procurement for school breakfast programs.