September, 2021. – Young farmers from Lares are seeking to create a network of farmers committed to the conservation of agrobiodiversity in Cusco, Puno, Huancavelica, Apurímac, and Arequipa. This initiative follows a ceremony honoring Pachamama (Mother Earth).
This network is being implemented with the support of the GEF-Agrobiodiversity SIPAM project, promoted by Profonanpe, Ministry of the Environment (Minam), Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) y Global Environment Facility (GEF), with support from Slow Food Peru.
Thus, on Monday, September 27, Lares-Cusco hosted the first of five meetings to be held between September and November of this year. The main objective of these meetings is to create networks of young people committed to conservation under the GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) approach, promoting the production, consumption, and marketing of agrobiodiversity products. It is worth noting that this first meeting was attended by 21 young people from the communities of Ancallachi, Ccachin, Pampacorral, Choquecancha, and Rosaspata, a group comprised of 11 men and 10 women.
These regional meetings of young farmers are a replica of the Sisay meetings, organized every two years by the Slow Food Volunteer Network in Peru, which have been conceived as a meeting and learning space for young people who are dedicated to agriculture and sustainable food from various roles: farmers, producers, agronomists, food processors and entrepreneurs.