Acción colectiva para la innovación y el acceso de pequeños agricultores al mercado: La experiencia de Papa Andina (Collective action for innovation and small farmer access to market: The Andean Potato experience)

Abstract

The Andean region is inhabited by a large number of the poorest peasant families in South America. The native potato varieties and local knowledge for their cultivation and use are the only resources farmers have in the area. As the forces of globalization and trade integration penetrate the Andes, there are greater challenges and opportunities for farmers in the region. The consumer demands for higher quality food and variety, downward pressures on food prices, concern about food safety, new agricultural health standards and the emergence of vertically integrated food marketing systems promote these changes. This paper describes the experiences of collective action in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, through the Regional Andean Potato Initiative and stakeholder platforms. Based on these experiences, we have rescued a number of lessons learned from application-oriented collective action to promote innovation, market access and poverty reduction in other scenarios.This document records how the Regional Andean Potato Initiative promotes the use of the action collectively to reduce poverty in the Andes, through development initiatives