Cañari Women’s Agricultural Associations

Women of the Cañari homeland have formed associations to solve their most pressing problems as they see them according to their experiences, background, education, reasoning and cosmovisión. They are preparing to feed their children better, become economically independent and restore family unity. To accomplish these goals, however, they are addressing many other issues that face the Cañari community today including restoring the diversity of potato production and adapting this production to the realities of climate and market changes. This will improve community nutrition and restore and maintain the connection of the people to the land.

One group of 35 women between the ages of 22 and 70 has united to further their education through participatory learning following the ancient Indigenous design. They prepare themselves in agronomics, marketing, nutrition, and organization techniques. These skills will be put to work immediately in the Chakra, the Cañari family farm.

The women are selecting seeds and choosing where to plant them based on consultation with the community elders, scientific information and experimentation. Seed gathering, preparation, selection and planting are traditionally the women’s role in agriculture. They have selected 12 native potato varieties to propagate.

To improve production, the women are using and improving ancient organic methods. The soil has suffered from centuries of misuse, erosion and neglect. It must be built up carefully, examined, re-evaluated and treated respectfully. The soil is central to Indigenous spirituality. The soil is the basis for good living.

The production of the Chakra is divided into three parts.

Part is seed for a new carefully selected plant.

Part is for nurturing children. Well-nourished children perform better in school. Good nutrition reduces disease and creates healthy minds. Children with healthy minds become better decision makers. The women planting potatoes are well aware of this.

Part is for local markets. The women are improving access to markets to achieve better and more stable prices. Improved local markets make farm production economically viable. This decreases the need for emigration. Decreased emigration restores families and communities.

However, food security, good living and economic independence are much more than market income. Stability in family and community life is like building healthy soil. It continues for generations.

The women are not counting the money they will earn in the market, but watching the future develop before their eyes. The picture they are looking at is spreading over the homeland, reaching into the soil and up toward the sun, and into the future.

The women have learned how to analyze the markets to provide healthy food to the community and fair prices to all. The women are asking if the poor in the urban areas are being provided for. The women examine the condition of the elderly and the abandoned children who are poorly provided for due to emigration.

The women have strengthened communication skills to manage their association fairly and wisely. They participate in planning and analysis to sharpen these skills. The women communicate what they learn through promotional activities in cooking festivals, recipe exchanges, videos and publications.

When these women apply organic fertilizers and turn weeds into biomass they are looking at food security and food sovereignty. Backs can hurt, but minds are full of dreams and hope. When these women look at healthy plants in the sun, they know they are one step closer to the life they plan for. The women are dedicated and disciplined. They follow detailed calendars and budgets based on their outline of goals and activities.

Goals and Activities

Goal 1. Identification of the territory of the native potatoes

Activity 1 Quick diagnostic about the local technology of production

Activity 2. Systemization and dissemination

Goal 2. Reintroduction of the Cañari family farming

Activity 1. Participatory planning

Activity 2. Implementation of demonstration plots and production plots

Activity 3. Follow up and evaluation

Activity 4. Systemization and dissemination of results

Goal 3. Exchange of knowledge and skills

Activity 1. Importance of native potatoes in food security

Activity 2. Agro ecological production