« Well-Being » (Sumaq Kawsay) and Native Potatoes
The Potato Park in Pisac, Peru, is a globally recognized example of conservation, despite the fact that it is not recognized by the Peruvian government. The park is the birthplace of an alternative development model known as sumaq kawsay, a Quechua expression that is often translated as « well-being. » Sumaq kawsay is often presented as an indigenous alternative to naturalistic or modern ontology. In this paper, the author examines the discourse produced within the Potato Park, and argues that this discourse is the result of dynamics within a working group connected to the Convention on Biological Diversity. She demonstrates that a non-governmental organization is playing the role of an ontological diplomat in this forum and analyzes what the exercise of this diplomacy means and entails for other actors, both locally, nationally and internationally.