GUARDIANS PAID FAIRLY
Rewarding Custodians of Potato Diversity Through Direct Benefit-Sharing In the Peruvian Andes, Indigenous farming families serve as custodians of hundreds of native potato varieties—preserving cultural heritage and resources vital for global food security and climate resilience. Since 2014, the Association of Guardians of Native Potato of Peru (AGUAPAN) has managed a voluntary payment system linking Dutch potato companies with custodian farmers, providing unconditional annual payments to support on-farm conservation. INTEGRATED BIODIVERSITY– FOOD SYSTEMS APPROACH
KEY INSIGHTS
• Farmer-led governance and
AGUAPAN’s benefit-sharing model rewards farmers for conserving native potato varieties while ensuring genetic resources remain in the public domain for research, training, and innovation. Built on early collaboration between the International Potato Centre (CIP) and Andean communities, it fosters trust and transparency among farmers, researchers, and companies. Farmerdesigned mechanisms and the clear separation between compensation and genetic access have made the system credible and equitable, linking traditional knowledge with global food systems.
transparent systems build trust and accountability.
• “Benefit sharing without access”
ensures legal clarity while protecting farmers’ rights.
• Simple, transparent mechanisms
reduce bureaucracy and eliminate access conditions.
• Complementary on-farm and genebank conservation strengthen resilience.
• The crop-based model is replicable for
HOW THE DIRECT BENEFITSHARING SYSTEM WORKS
maize, quinoa, and cacao.
• Intergenerational continuity through
Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Structure
• Private companies such as HZPC, Agrico, and EUROPLANT provide long-term financial support linked to corporate social responsibility goals. AGUAPAN coordinates conservation activities, while CIP documents varieties and provides genebank backup. The Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) advises on legal frameworks, and NGOs like Grupo Yanapai and Asociación Pataz deliver field support.
Economic Model
• The model blends payments for ecosystem services with
market development. Farmers receive annual stewardship payments, while initiatives such as MISKI PAPA create niche markets for heritage potato mixtures. Diversified partnerships reduce dependence on single donors, ensuring financial resilience.
Measuring Change and Impact
• Genetic studies of 1,075 varieties identified 88 new
landraces now added to international collections. Around 100 families receive payments that improve livelihoods and recognition of custodianship roles. Monitoring covers biodiversity recovery, women’s participation, youth leadership, and value-chain innovation, supported by digital tools such as VarScout and WIKI PAPA.
FIND OUT MORE ON THE BUNDLE OF B I O D I V E R S I T Y– F O O D SYS T E M S U S E C A S E S — Mariëlle Karssenberg mkarssenberg@nlfoodpartnership.com
the AGUAPAN youth network (JORA) sustains knowledge and livelihoods.
LEARNING AND INSIGHTS Scaling biodiversity benefitsharing depends on strong farmer organizations, transparent governance, supportive policy frameworks, and committed privatesector partners. The AGUAPAN model shows that decoupling benefits from genetic access builds trust and empowers farmers to define priorities. Transparent verification, crop-specific approaches, and active multi-actor support networks are key to credibility and impact. Challenges include limited privatesector participation, a waiting list for new members, and minor genetic mixing during seed exchanges. Market demand for diverse potatoes remains low, requiring initiatives like MISKI PAPA to link conservation with viable consumer markets and longterm sustainability.
SCALING OPPORTUNITIES AND COLLABORATION Within Peru, scaling focuses on expanding the custodian network to include new potato varieties, strengthening documentation, and engaging youth to reduce extinction risks. Market initiatives like MISKI PAPA provide complementary economic incentives for conservation. Internationally, the AGUAPAN model can be adapted to other crops and regions with similar governance structures, aligning with Multilateral System (MLS) or Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) and SeedNL trust-building principles. Replication requires context-specific adjustments while upholding core values of farmer autonomy, transparency, and benefit sharing without access.
F O R F U R T H E R I N F O R M AT I O N — — Aurea Mendoza Stef de Haan s.dehaan@cgiar.org mendozacapchaaurea@gmail.com