Recovery and use of camelids and their fiber as potential resources to improve local livelihoods in a post-pandemic scenario in the Andean Altiplano

Overview

The Altiplano has one of the most long-lived and culturally distinctive SEPLs in the world, which is called Andean pastoralism. The Andean Altiplano SEPL is inhabited by indigenous communities and indigenous biodiversity adapted to high-altitude semi-deserts. The main source of livelihood is llama and sheep herding. These animals coexist with wild vicuñas, whose fur is regarded as a very valuable fibre, and which are a protected species. The people in the area face severe poverty. This project will assess their situation under the post-pandemic scenario in relation to environmental indicators, social perceptions and decisions. It will also assess the state of the native fauna and flora, compared with previous data, with special focus on trends in vicuña poaching. We will conduct field work, engage in intercultural dialogues, and convene workshops with local communities in pursuit of sustainable responses to the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. We will carry out a detailed study of the production cost of vicuña wool products using chaku -a traditional method of vicuña capture, shearing and release by the Santa Catalina cooperative in 2018 - to evaluate the potential of producing vicuña garments to reduce poverty. The dialogue between scientists and the local community aims to build social resilience. We also aim to engage local community institutions, especially schools, to use the environment in a sustainable way.