A crop's center of origin is the place
where it originates. These centers are the
basis of food security and cultural
traditions, and where tens of thousands of
varieties of crops such as corn, potato,
soy, and rice are preserved, grown and used
by local people.
the importance of the potato in
bolivia
Bolivia is the center of origin of the
potato. Farmers in the high Andean region
guarantee their food needs through the
diversification of agriculture, and the
potato is a basic component in ensuring
food sovereignty for Bolivian farming
families and for the country.
In April 2000, the Bolivian Biosafety
Committee approved a request for field
trials of a GM potato resistant to
nematodes (a worm). The request was
presented by the Bolivian Proinpa
Foundation, with material originating from
Leeds University in England . There is a
high risk of genetic contamination of
non-GM potato varieties in Bolivia . This
would seriously impact biodiversity and
cultural diversity, and could also cause
genetic erosion, the disappearance of some
varieties, and the loss of traditional
cultural practices connected to the
potato.
resistance and
withdrawal
When the request to conduct GM potato
field trials became known, farmers from
different areas in the Andes rejected the
experiments in a letter addressed to the
Bolivian Vice Minister of Natural Resources
and Environment. This strong negative
reaction had not been foreseen by the
project promoters. Andean farmers firmly
opposed the plan, and threatened to destroy
the field trials. Meanwhile, protest
statements against the introduction of the
Bolivian potato arrived from different
parts of the world.
The Proinpa Foundation came under heavy
criticism at several public meetings in La
Paz , Cochabamba and Sucre , Bolivia . In
June 2000, it withdrew its GM potatoes
field trials project due to the “debate
that GM potatoes were generating in the
country” and with “the aim to create a
better moment for doing so”.
source and more
information:
Fobomade, see:
www.fobomade.org.bo/index1.php
