On 11 November 2013, a workshop organized in Bolivia by Bioversity International, PROINPA, INIAF, CARE, CETHA-TK and SAMARITANS brought together custodian farmers from 8 communities residing around the Titicaca Lake (Coromata Media, Cachilaya, Erbenkalla, Rosapata, Antaquira, Pucamaya, Suriquiña and Corqueamaya). The objective of the meeting was to showcase the work being carried out by the IFAD NUS Project in these communities on documentation and monitoring traditional crops, promote sharing of experiences among farmers and raise awareness of community members in general on resilient crops, food culture and market opportunities associated to these resources. Custodian farmers presented the tools (like the community biodiversity registers- called ‘planillas de registro’ in Bolivia) that each community has been developing for documenting and monitoring the status of conservation and use of traditional crops; explained the ‘five cell analysis method’ which is allowing to record lost varieties, introduced the custodian farmer networks being established and briefed the audience on advances regarding the establishment of Community Seed Banks for native potatoes, Andean grains and other indigenous crops. Women custodians proudly showed a great diversity of food products prepared using local crops which were offered to all participants.
