The Andean and Amazonian Chakras, the agrarian system of Ecuador, was recognized by the FAO in Rome

Ecuador’s Andean and Amazonian chakras, namely agricultural and agroforestry systems, have been certified as Important World Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the highest recognition given by the entity. The ceremony was held on Monday, May 22, in Rome, where the headquarters is located.

“These communities are examples of biodiversity and remind us that in order to protect people, we must protect the planet. His sYoGIAHS systems are like storefronts that offer local-level solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu during the event.

For her part, María Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of FAO, indicated that the designation of these sites in Ecuador promotes the empowerment of women, since 80% of the chakras are managed by indigenous women, locally known as chakramama, who use valuable traditional knowledge in dynamic conservation, sustainable use and daily work of these places.

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For contribution to food security, livelihood security and indigenous agro-biodiversity, as well as ancestral knowledge systems, social values ​​and culture are some of the parameters used to award the certificate.

Chakras, according to a statement by FAO Ecuador, are fundamental in the development of the material and symbolic life of Kichwa families and communities, which are based on extensive ancestral knowledge that includes gastronomy, medicine and rituals.

Furthermore, it is pointed out that they are crucial for the preservation of a great diversity of unique local crop varieties. This territory is considered one of the largest and best preserved areas of agricultural biodiversity in Ecuador and the Andean region.

The Andean Chakra of the indigenous Kichwa peoples is characterized by the integration and interconnectedness of climate, ecosystems, agricultural practices and biodiversity at an altitude of 2,500 to 3,400 meters in the Cotacachi Mountains.

While the Amazon Chakra, from the province of Napo, represents a sustainable model of land use in agroforestry, in which production areas within the farm are managed by families from an organic and biodiversity perspective, offering multiple services to the population.

The Kichwa and Kijus communities, the statement explains, have developed a polycultural system in which cacao is grown alongside wood, fruit, medicinal, artisanal, edible and ornamental species, as well as other activities that include hunting and forest products. and non-cutters.

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Systems from Brazil and Mexico were also recognized at the event. FAO has designated 74 agricultural heritage systems in 24 countries since 2005, and currently 15 new proposals have been submitted from 7 different countries, according to the EFE agency.

Latin American countries possess seven global GIAHS certificates, which are distributed between Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil and Mexico.

The GIAHS program was created by FAO in 2002 with the aim of preserving and maintaining the world agricultural heritage system.