By Angel Villavicencio, Saúl Povez (Fovida) and Ana Lucía Núñez (Oxfam in Peru)
On October 26, the II National Forum on Native and Local Seeds 2022 was held in Junín, Huancayo, with the participation of more than 75 leaders from 16 departments of the country representing 17 national and regional agrarian organizations and unions. This space enabled dialogue with officials from the Ministry of Environment, National Institute for Agrarian Innovation (INIA), Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Regional Directorate of Agriculture Junín and the National Agricultural Health Service, discussing the necessary inclusion and validation of traditional seed systems, for recognition as “quality seeds” through the amendment of the General Seed Law No. 27262. The event highlighted the value of their traditional production, linked to the Andean cosmovision of the native peoples, thus allowing the conservation of thousands of crops and varieties using ancestral knowledge in areas of agrobiodiversity. The importance of selecting seeds that ensure agrobiodiversity and adaptability was highlighted, in addition to providing food security, guaranteeing better adaptation to climate change and access to a variety of food products.
Photo: OXFAM Archive
This Forum was co-organized by the Steering Group of Agrarian Leaders of Junín (GRILAJ) and the Steering Group of Native Seeds (GRISEN). As part of the agreements, it was decided that the “III National Forum of Native Seeds” will be held in September 2023 in the department of Loreto.
Angel Villavicencio, FOVIDA Representative
Saúl Povez, FOVIDA
Ana Lucía Núñez, Food Justice Project Officer at Oxfam Peru
