Basquitay, one of EkoRural’s partner communities located in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador, has recently been working to start up a community seed bank to support the preservation of agrobiodiversity across the country’s Central Highlands region.

Unpredictable weather patterns, temperatures, and rainfall caused by climate change increase the vulnerability of Ecuador’s rural highlands communities, such as Basquitay. Though members of the community have emphasized that they feel fortunate to live in an area that has sufficient rainfall and fertile lands, soil degradation and climate change pose challenges to food production. From heavy rains to intense heat, it is hard for to plan crop plantings with unanticipated and sometimes extreme weather fluctuations. The new seed bank is one way that Basquitay and EkoRural are working together to build resilience to these threats. By increasing and preserving genetic diversity in the community, Basquitay will increase their protection against variable weather and other unexpected factors. With a diverse variety of food crops comes the assurance that, despite challenges posed by external factors, there will always be an available source of food.

Basquitay’s president, Francisco Lema, also the community promoter for EkoRural’s Chimborazo program, says, “During my time with EkoRural, I have worked with other communities to create seed banks and conserve and restore crop diversity, and I wanted to bring this to my own community as well.”

The seed bank initiative has already received much support in Basquitay. Community members have come together to convert an abandoned house into the home of the new seedbank; windows and doors have been replaced and plans to put on a new roof are under way. In October 2014, many people came together in a traditional  ‘minga’ (a collective work party) to plant a potato plot whose seeds will contribute to the bank. Twenty three different potato varieties were provided by EkoRural and INIAP, a governmental research institute that provides technical agricultural assistance in Ecuador, and Basquitay will continue spreading these seeds by participating in the 2 for 1 program. The 2 for 1 program is a process of exchange where for each seed that farmers take from the seedbank, they provide two seeds back. In this way, the overall stock increases over time and others can share in the growing abundance.

Francisco says that although Basquitay’s seed bank is still underway, local visitors have already begun to come in order to learn about the process, share their experiences, and take ideas back to their own communities. By providing a space for this sort of interaction and knowledge sharing, in addition to the sharing of valuable genetic material, banks like the one in Basquitay are truly offering seeds for positive change.

Below are some photos of the community workday and potato planting in Basquitay.