Socioenvironmental Factors that Promote the in-situ Conservation of Native High Andean Tubers in Colta and Guamote Cantons, Chimborazo, Ecuador

Abstract

Colta and Guamote are two cantons in the province of Chimborazo that together form one of the microcenters with the greatest biodiversity of high Andean tubers native to Ecuador. The study focused on establishing the socio-environmental factors that encourage in-situ conservation of this type of agrobiodiversity in the area. The techniques used to gather information were participatory workshops with producers and in-depth interviews with both producers and qualified informants. The results showed that in-situ conservation of native varieties depends on four factors: seed availability, the management provided throughout the crop cycle, uses within farms and the influence of market demand. The author concludes that producers prefer to conserve native varieties that are also required in the market in their plots and that interventions to promote the reintroduction of native varieties should include adaptation measures to climate change as a transversal factor.