Patagonia Indigenous Farming Systems

Timeframe

April 2023 to June 2025

Funding

NZD $244,000

Countries

Argentina and Chile

Context

Climate change projections for Patagonia indicate a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperatures. This will place considerable pressure on agricultural systems and livelihoods that are already subject to climate constraints.

The main problems expressed by farmers are a lack of water and forage, low survival of young animals, and the lack of access to local markets. These opinions are expressed through the request for training and funding for water collection and distribution, training in the strategic use of feed for pregnant females and young growing animals, predation control, and the use of sheds for protection from the cold in winter and heat in summer. They also express the need for more resilient animals; and the need to join together to sell their products and thus obtain better prices.

Since 2017, FONTAGRO has cofinanced a project that focuses on identifying new knowledge technologies and innovations for Argentina (Patagonia) and Peru, with a focus on the traditional livestock production system in indigenous smallholders. From the results obtained from this initiative, a group of scientists and extensionists from Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand decided to propose a scale-up new initiative that brings benefits to other countries.

This initiative is the first in fostering technology and innovation adoption in Latin American indigenous communities.

Project Aims

This project focuses on promoting sustainability and food security in five Mapuche indigenous communities in rural areas of Argentina and Chile. It seeks to improve livestock production through climate-smart practices, drawing on previous experience to propose solutions tailored to these communities. Innovations will be spread through demonstration plots and participatory transfer activities to achieve wider uptake in rural communities.

The project aims not only to increase livestock productivity but also to preserve Mapuche culture by integrating their ancestral vision into the proposed solutions. With a focus on sustainable development and climate change adaptation, this project supports vulnerable communities on their path to resilience and prosperity. Specific aims are:

• Improve Mapuche production and the adaptation of their systems to climate change.

• Extend the experience to other communities that can appropriate the innovations generated.

• Generate a regional platform for the exchange of experiences.

• Measure baseline greenhouses gas emissions from improved production systems.

Progress

A first get-to-know you meeting took place in April 2023 on Mapuche lands in the South American Patagonia region, between the communities and a NZ delegation.

Since then, the work has been focused as follows:

• In Argentina, it focuses on Río Negro and Neuquén provinces, addressing challenges such as water scarcity, poor livestock nutrition and limited access to local markets.

• In Chile, the initiative targets La Araucanía, a region facing similar challenges and climatic variations.