Andean food systems and livelihoods are vulnerable and exposed to shocks and crises. Today the Andes faces unprecedented accelerated changes and extreme events. The climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and internal (reverse) migration have multiple impacts on production and the economy. For sustainable development, it is extremely important to diversify the portfolio of adaptation options for family farming, as well as the livelihoods that depend on it, in the face of the effects of shocks and crises. In parallel, it is necessary to strengthen the social, ecological and economic resilience of the most vulnerable communities.
Historically, Andean communities have developed an important portfolio of adaptation strategies and practices to confront production risks and instability. These includes the simultaneous management of common and private goods, the management of high levels of agrobiodiversity, social mechanisms of reciprocity, techniques for mitigating the effects of biotic and abiotic stress on production, and the diversification of the family economy. Some of them are continuous and widely practiced (e.g., the use of mixed portfolios of crops and varieties) while others are rapidly changing and debilitated (e.g., the collective management of common goods such as land and water). At the same time, new opportunities have emerged to stimulate adaptation: the use of digital tools, access to information and climate adapted technologies (e.g., resistant varieties, water harvesting techniques).
A fundamental challenge for science, innovation systems and institutional alliances concerns effective modalities and facilitation processes towards adaptation and resilience in light of shocks and crises in complex socio-ecological contexts such as in the Andes. What are the available options and replicable experiences? What role does connectivity and the use of real-time information play? How can traditional strategies be integrated with modern science? And what role do young people play in the new Andean rurality in uncertain times? These are some of the questions that will be explored during the dialogue.
Present a dynamic and forward-looking regional dialogue in which influential voices and prominent experts present and discuss how, in a context exposure to shocks and crises, innovation and collective action can facilitate and strengthen adaptation by context and the resilience of Andean food systems.
Topics of discussion
- The drivers, inhibitors and trends for adaptation to shocks and crises
- The role of science and innovation in strengthening adaptive capacity
- Different dimensions of resilience in the Andes from a social, ecological and economic point of view
- Adaptation and resilience in a context of inequality (gender, ethnicity and youth)
- The most effective processes and / or modalities of collective action
- The role of information and communication technology
Has 20 years of experience in agricultural R&D with emphasis on community-level mapping of climate change impacts, agrobiodiversity, land use, food systems and human nutrition in mountain regions and vulnerable communities. Works for the International Potato Center (CIP), coordinating the Andean Initiative. Has published more than 60 publications between science articles and books, many related to the Andes.
Coordinates CIP’s new Andean Initiative with emphasis on climate action, food systems, agrobiodiversity and inclusive value chains. Stef’s current areas of research include seed systems, farmer agrobiodiversity use, food and nutrition security, food system transitions. He previously worked with the Dutch development cooperation (1998-2002) in the Andean region, International Potato Center (2002-2015) in Peru, and International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Vietnam (2015-2019).
Holds a PhD in Biosystematics and MSc. in Agroecology from Wageningen University, as well as a BSc. in Agronomy. Stef is a Dutch national and is currently based in Peru.
STEF DE HAAN
Andean Initiative, CIP
Dr. David a. Ramírez is an Ecologist and Scientist at the International Potato Center. Dr. Ramirez coordinates the Climate Action efforts of the Andean Initiative, under the Regional Program for the Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2015 he was pre-selected for the young outstanding scientist Scientific Prize and received the Antunez de Mayolo 2015 merit award for research in science, granted by the Peruvian Academy of Science. With 43 publications in magazines with a contribution in science and nature, his research focuses on: – irrigation management for water saving without affecting the yield of tubers, – features in leaves that highlight the functional response of the plants to droughts in the farming systems, – crops resistance to help resolve the increasing restriction of water for agriculture due to the higher demand of food, and how the vegetation structure interacts with multifunctional ecosystem processes.
DAVID RAMÍREZ
Scientist, CIP-LAC
Architect with a master´s degree in urban and regional development planning, holds a diploma in climate change and human rights, and a postgraduate in disaster prevention technologies. Currently, Mrs. Angulo is the Regional Coordinator of the recent regional project Andes Resilient to Climate Change funded by COSUDE and facilitated by the consortium HELVETAS Swiss Inter-cooperation-Avina Foundation. Mrs. Angulo was the Director of the Peru Climate Change Adaptation Program – PACC Peru, a bilateral cooperation initiative between the Ministry of Environment of Peru and COSUDE. Her expertise includes an integrated and multidisciplinary work (in environmental and socioeconomic areas).
LENKIZA ANGULO
Coordinator Andes Resiliente, HELVETAS, Peru
Deissy Martinez-Baron studied Economics, International Affairs and Political Studies and holds a Master´s degree in Rural Development. She is currently doing her Doctorate in Geography at the University of Copenhagen. Mrs. Martinez-Baron is the Regional Program Leader for CCAFS in Latin America based at CIAT in Cali, Colombia where she plays a major role in regional partnership development aimed to build impact pathways so that knowledge in climate change leads to a more competitive and resilient agriculture in Latin America.
DEISSY MARTINEZ-BARON
Director Latin America, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Colombia
Alejandro is an Anthropologist, Researcher, Professor and Consultant in rural and social issues with special emphasis in the organization and political and economic relationships of the coastal and Andean populations in Peru. Mr. Diez Hurtado graduated from the Catholic University of Peru, with a Doctorate from the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences in Paris. Currently, Mr. Diez Hurtado is the Head of the Social Sciences Department at the Catholic University of Peru where he is also a professor and researcher.
ALEJANDRO DIEZ HURTADO
Anthropologist, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Peru
Dr. Bruno Condori carried out his postgraduate studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, where he obtained his master´s degree with honors and his Doctorate in Sciences. Mr. Condori studied agricultural engineering at the Higher University of San Andres, Bolivia. He has developed significant work as international scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture, CGIAR-CIP, United States, Africa and Asia.
Mr. Condori developed nationwide expertise in agrobiodiversity, production systems and climate change after working for almost 20 years at PROINPA Foundation in the valleys and the Bolivian high plateau. He has developed important consultancies for the World Bank, UNDP, the European Union-EUROCLIMA, GIZ, INWENT, IRD, INIAF, SWISSCONTACT, among others.
With almost 40 scientific articles and various books published, Mr. Condori is currently a postgraduate teacher in different Bolivian universities, Master´s and PhD Advisor in international universities, Consultant at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture and Professor at the Public University of El Alto.
BRUNO CONDORI
Scientist, Universidad Pública de El Alto (UPEA), IICA-Bolivia
With a master’s degree in Applied Meteorology at the National Agrarian University La Molina, and with a specialization in atmospheric numerical modelling at the University of Maryland (United States), Mrs. Avalos led the coordination of CLIMANDES: Climate Services for the Andes, and is part of the World Meteorological Organization through the working groups in support of the Global Framework for Climate Services. With several publications about variability and climate change, Mrs. Avalos has led the implementation of the National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) in SENAMHI-Peru and has been coordinating the ENANDES Project (Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Andean Communities through Climate Services) with the Adaptation Fund for the development of climate information based on the needs of the agricultural sector.
GRINIA AVALOS ROLDÁN
Deputy Director of Climate Prediction, SENAMHI, Peru