CBA Bolivia - Semillas del Futuro Vol.1

Recovery of tarwi (Lupinus Mutabilis S.) seeds in four communities of the Carabuco Municipality near Lake Titicaca

CUNA Association

The Carabuco Municipality has been suffering, for the last ten years, from the effects of climate change, such as the increase in average annual temperatures, unpredicatable patterns and intensity of rainfalls, and the emergence of new plagues and pests. The four communities, HUAJASIYA, CAVINCHILLA, TILACOCA AND COJATAPAMPA, have insufficient knowledge of these effects on their productive systems.  Thus, they have not gotten the chance to take necessary and timely adaption measures to reduce their vulnerability against climate change impacts. Most of the agricultural production, such as potatoes, faba beans, barley, quinoa and a certain kind of oats that are cultivated in the zone, is intended solely for their own consumption.  Therefore, food insecurity problems augments in the project area.

In response to these problems, the UNDP supported Community-Based Adaptation project supports the recovery of the tarwi seed (lupinus mutabilis) in four communities of the Carabuco Municipality that surrounds the Titicaca Lake.  The local seed, Tarwi, is high in nutritional value and is a cheap source of vegetal protein (44.3%), and has the ability to adapt to adverse and variable conditions, turning it into a marginal cultivation. Through the project's activities, the appreciation of tarwi and its promotion through ecotype quality seeds, local varieties, as well as the experimentation with other varieties, have increased the communities' knowledge on adaptation, comparative value, and productivity of their agriculture. Additionally, the community members and its environmental leaders are trained to promote, in the municipal level, the knowhow and best practices on adaptive natural resource management, the different advantages of increasing the production of tarwi crops through the use of certified seeds, as a way to reduce the inhabitant's vulnerability.