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ECUADOR, 2025. Maize grown by Kichwa community

06 July 2025. Iltaqui, Ecuador. Maize plants growing on the slopes of the Imbabura Volcano, home to more than 35 Kichwa Indigenous communities primarily dedicated to agriculture and livestock farming. Their crops preserve a wide diversity of native seeds, including grains, fruits, vegetables, and greens. The region’s varied climate and cultivation at altitudes ranging from 2,200 to 2,700 meters enhance its biodiversity.

07/06/2025

Country or Territory Ecuador

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

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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.