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ECUADOR, 2025. FAO staff on the land with local farmer
ECUADOR, 2025. FAO staff on the land with local farmer 
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system 
ECUADOR, 2025. Cotacachi region in Imbabura Province
ECUADOR, 2025. Cotacachi region in Imbabura Province 
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system 
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system 
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system 
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system 
ECUADOR, 2025. Zayra talking to FAO officer
ECUADOR, 2025. Zayra talking to FAO officer 
ECUADOR, 2025. Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO Goodwill Ambassador with member of the Women’s Committee of UNORCAC
ECUADOR, 2025. Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO Goodwill Ambassador with member of the Women’s Committee of UNORCAC 
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system
ECUADOR, 2025. View of Andean Chakra, an ancestral agricultural system 
ECUADOR, 2025. Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO Goodwill Ambassador with member of the Women’s Committee of UNORCAC
ECUADOR, 2025. Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO Goodwill Ambassador with member of the Women’s Committee of UNORCAC 
ECUADOR, 2025. FAO Staff at Cuicocha Lake
ECUADOR, 2025. FAO Staff at Cuicocha Lake 
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in  ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony 
ECUADOR, 2025. Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO Goodwill Ambassador with member of the Women’s Committee of UNORCAC
ECUADOR, 2025. Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO Goodwill Ambassador with member of the Women’s Committee of UNORCAC 
ECUADOR, 2025. Harvesting maize
ECUADOR, 2025. Harvesting maize 
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in  ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony 
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in  ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony 
ECUADOR, 2025. María is the coordinator of the Chakras Andinas SIPAM project
ECUADOR, 2025. María is the coordinator of the Chakras Andinas SIPAM project 
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in  ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony
ECUADOR, 2025. Women farmers participate in ancestral harvest gratitude ceremony 
ECUADOR, 2025. María is the coordinator of the Chakras Andinas SIPAM project
ECUADOR, 2025. María is the coordinator of the Chakras Andinas SIPAM project 
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ECUADOR, 2025. FAO staff visit Andean chakras 
06 July 2025. Cotacachi, Ecuador. Paula Lanata, Communications and Partnerships Officer at FAO Ecuador, and José Beltrán, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, conduct a field visit to Andean chakras on the slopes of the Imbabura volcano. These ancestral agricultural systems are vital for food sovereignty, biodiversity conservation, and the resilience of Indigenous communities. 
07/06/2025 
Country or Territory Ecuador
Credit © FAO /  Johanna Alarcón 
Related URL Related FAO Feature Story: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/secrets-of-the-andean-chakras/en
UNFAO Source FAO Photo Library
File size 10.08 MB 
Unique ID UF1ADM5 
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.