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ECUADOR, 2025. Zayra talking to FAO officer

09 July 2025. El Cercado, Ecuador. Paula Lanata, Communications and Partnerships Officer at FAO Ecuador, speaks with Zayra Marisol Lanchimba about her crops and the impacts of climate change. These exchanges help strengthen dialogue around sustainable agriculture, adaptation strategies, and the vital role of women farmers in preserving agrobiodiversity in Cotacachi.

07/09/2025

Country or Territory Ecuador

Related URL Related FAO Feature Story: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/secrets-of-the-andean-chakras/en

File size 8.32 MB

Unique ID UF1ADPW

Editorial use only. Photo credit must be given. For further information contact: Photo-Library@fao.org

Background Information Kichwa women and their ancestral agricultural knowledge have sustained food security in Ecuador’s highlands for centuries. Their farms, known as chakra, were recognized in 2023 by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Indigenous women like Magdalena are seed guardians, preserving native maize varieties and passing this knowledge to her daughter Verónica.

Climate change-related droughts, floods and pests threaten this system, but with FAO’s support, organizations like UNORCAC work with Kichwa communities to strengthen resilience through the use and exchange of native seeds.