Title
Gender Roles and Native Potato Diversity Management in Highland Communities of Peru
Date Issued
01 March 2022
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
MPDI
Abstract
Crop diversity contributes to yield stability and nutrition security and is valued for its potential use in breeding improved varieties and adaptation to future climates. Women across the globe contribute to biodiversity conservation, and, in the Central Andes region, the cradle of potato diversity, rural women play a vital role in the management of a wealth of native potato diversity. To examine how gender roles and traditions influence the agricultural and conservation practices of male and female custodians of native potato diversity, we undertook a qualitative study in eight farming communities high in the Andes, in the Pasco region of Peru. This article reviews agricultural and crop diversity management practices, farmer motivations for conserving potato diversity, the role that agrobiodiversity plays in family diets and economies, and support of in situ conservation by external actors. It examines how gender norms limit the potential of women to fully benefit from the crop and argues for more gender-responsive approaches that empower both women and men, enable women to overcome barriers, and contribute to a more inclusive, community-based management of agrobiodiversity that ensures its long-term conservation and contribution to community development and well-being.
Volume
14
Issue
6
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias de las plantas, Botánica Genética, Herencia Agricultura
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85126919708
Source
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Sponsor(s)
Funding text This research was undertaken as part of and funded by the CGIAR Research Programs on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) and the CGIAR Gender Platform and supported by CGIAR Trust Fund contributors (https://www.cgiar.org/funders/; accessed on 2 March 2022).
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus