By Esteban Biba
Chiarumani, Bolivia, (EFE).- Leonel Mejía, an 18-year-old Bolivian from the Andean highlands, is leading an effort to preserve up to 40 native potato varieties, inspired by the agricultural knowledge and traditions ed down from his grandfather.
At over 13,800 feet above sea level in the community of Chiarumani, Mejía and his family practice small-scale farming.
His ion for plants began at age nine in his grandfather’s Eusebio’s flower garden.
By the time he was 12, he had shifted his focus to native Andean tubers, starting a catalog to document and classify local potato varieties and their unique characteristics.
Today, that catalog exists both in print and digital formats, and Mejía continues to search and add new varieties.
“Because of climate change, many farmers now focus on cultivating only a few potato varieties that are easier to harvest and cook,” Mejía told EFE.
In nearby communities, he said, farmers typically grow just five varieties, leading to the extinction of many native types.
Bolivia’s National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation (INIAF) maintains over 1,500 potato species in its Germplasm Bank at the Toralapa Experimental Station.
However, only about 30 varieties are regularly cultivated due to limited commercial demand.
Mejía believes that understanding the unique traits of each potato variety is key to saving them.
One example is the Imilla potato, which he described as highly resistant to frost, a critical advantage in Bolivia’s often harsh highland climate.
He also emphasized the importance of consumer demand. “If people start asking for native potatoes in markets, producers will have an incentive to grow and preserve them,” he said.
Committed to a mission of “learning and teaching habits of older generations.
However, he sees hope among younger farmers willing to embrace conservation.
Mejías also sees native potatoes as an essential part of Bolivia’s cultural heritage and expressed concern that neighboring Peru has been more successful in promoting Andean tubers internationally.
His work recently drew international attention when he hosted Sean Sherman, a celebrated chef from the Oglala Lakota Sioux Nation known for revitalizing Native American cuisine in the United States.
Mejía also welcomed several renowned Bolivian chefs through the “Reclaiming Indigenous Cuisine of the Americas” program, ed by the US Embassy and Bolivia’s Gustu restaurant.
During the visit, Mejía demonstrated traditional harvesting and classification techniques.
The chefs took samples of native potato varieties back to their restaurants, opening new possibilities for commercialization that could help preserve these ancestral crops.
Currently beginning his engineering studies, Mejía remains committed to expanding awareness and saving Bolivia’s rich diverse potato heritage. EFE
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