Potato Provides Path to Merge Modern and Indigenous Knowledge We
were excited when we found out that 2008 is the International
Year of The Potato, but we went through the roof when we learned
that Cusco in Peru has a potato park! Recently, over a hundred
international scientists visited the park as part of a
conference titled, "Potato Science for the Poor: Challenges for
the New Millennium". The Cusco Potato Park sits at high
elevations, from around 11,500 to about 13,300 feet. Papa
arariwas or local conservation experts guided the (likely)
breathless scientist around the park showing hundreds of local
varieties. The biodiversity found in this park represents an
important resource for the global food supply. "Working
together, you, the scientists, and we, the arariwas, is the best
way to work for future generations", said Justino Yuccra, an
arariwa from the Cuello Largo community. "You have the modern
knowledge, we have the indigenous knowledge, if we link them, we
could increase our biodiversity and also hel