[MPWG] PLEASE keep birthplace of potato --Chiloe, Chile---GMO FREE ZONE

[Ipakatawo9 at aol.com]

Chiloe, Chile is birthplace of the potato.  Yes, Chiloe, Chile. 

ENVIRONMENT-CHILE
Keep Chiloe, Chile  Free of Transgenics, Say Activists
Daniela Estrada
Inter Press Service (IPS), Oct 17 2006
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35134

SANTIAGO,  CHILE, Oct 17  (Tierramerica)  - 

Environmentalists are demanding that Chilean authorities declare the southern 
archipelago of Chiloe -- 1,190 km south of Santiago -- a transgenic-free 
zone, and recognise it as a birthplace of the potato (Solanum tuberosum), 
alongside Bolivia and Peru.

Cultivation of genetically modified foods is not permitted in Chile, but 
transgenic seed production for export is allowed. In 2005 there were 12,928 
hectares of farmland dedicated to that practice: 93.7 percent maize, 4.85 raps and 
1.28 percent soy.

In Chile's 10th region, Los Lagos, where the Chiloe archipelago is located, 
there is some land dedicated to production of transgenic potato seed, but this 
biotechnology has not yet been brought to the main island of Chiloe or its 
surrounding islets.

Maria Isabel Manzur, of the non-governmental Sustainable Societies Foundation 
(FSS, Fundacion Sociedades Sustentables), told Tierramerica that the 
principal risk of releasing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in this insular 
territory is the potential genetic contamination of its autochthonous products, 
especially the potato, threatening varieties that are thousands of years old.

The potato was domesticated 10,000 years ago, and introduced to Europe by the 
Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century. Today it is the fourth leading 
food crop in the world, with annual production of around 300 million tons.

"Potatoes are the basis of the culture of Chiloe, and many of its varieties 
were improved in European countries," Carlos Venegas, director of the Chiloé 
Technology Center (CET), told Tierramerica.

Knowledge about the potato has been passed down through generations of "
Chilotes", as Chiloe's people are known, most of whom follow the related rites and 
superstitions. Many potato farmers will only plant  during the waning moon, 
believing this will ensure better crops.

Furthermore, "there is such a great diversity of potatoes, of different 
shapes, colors and tastes, that it's possible to prepare endless different potato 
dishes," said Venegas, who advocates a government policy to promote Chiloe's 
gastronomy as a boost to tourism and the local economies.

Tonta (foolish), colorada (red), guapa (handsome), clavela blanca and azul 
(white or blue carnation), zapatona (big shoe), noventa días (90 days), cabeza 
de santo (head of a saint) and cachimba are some of the curious names of the 
local potato varieties. Some are used for food, while others are used as 
medicine, with potato-based recipes helping relieve problems related to the liver or 
gall bladder.

Seminars are being held Oct. 17-18 -- "Transgenic Crops and Native Potatoes 
of Chiloe" -- organised by FSS and CET in Castro and Puerto Montt, both located 
in the 10th region.

Manzur said the objective is to raise citizen awareness about the importance 
of native potato varieties and to gather signatures to pressure the 
authorities to declare the Chiloé archipelago a GMO-free zone.

Environmentalists warn that no legal tool exists that can be used to 
establish this category, but they say it is a citizen demand that must be heeded by 
the government and lawmakers.

The residents of Chiloe's big island have reinforced their appreciation of 
their native potatoes, thanks to efforts by various groups in the area, like 
CET, which in 1987 set up a potato species bank that today maintains more than 
200 varieties.

The seeds are gathered by the farmers themselves, who exchange the different 
types to plant in their fields, which generally are no larger than 15 
hectares, said Venegas. This approach has been so successful that farmers have set up 
three more such banks.

In April, The Austral University of Chile launched a project sponsored by the 
government to recuperate, protect, and commercialise varieties of potatoes 
native to Chiloe, and includes official description and registration of the 
Chiloe varieties in the potato registry of the government's Agriculture and 
Livestock Service.

CET and other local institutions have set aside three sites in the 
archipelago for the "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems" (GIAHS), launched 
in 2002 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and 
other development agencies.

According to Venegas, CET's proposal was approved and should be implemented 
late this year or early 2007. The aim is to promote social, economic and 
environmental sustainability through the creation of local capacity-building, 
promotion of its values and dissemination of traditional knowledge.

According to data from the International Potato Centre, since the 1960s, the 
area in developing countries planted with potato has expanded more rapidly 
than that of any other food crop.

(*Daniela Estrada is an IPS correspondent. Originally published Oct. 14 by 
Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramérica network. 
Tierramérica is a specialised news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United 
Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme.)


          


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