Indigenous Peoples show how both people and the planet can thrive in harmony

Indigenous ways of life in South America are under threat. Communities throughout the continent are seeing age-old weather patterns shift and natural environments degrade.

But Indigenous Peoples are also uniquely well-placed to adapt to a changing world. For generations, they have managed their environments sustainably and farmed diverse foods that are suited to local conditions.

That’s why IFAD hosts the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF), which supports projects designed and implemented by Indigenous Peoples and their organizations. Across South America, the facility catalyses self-driven development rooted in Indigenous culture, knowledge and perspectives.

From the Andes to the Amazon, meet three Indigenous Peoples’ organizations that are transforming their communities with IPAF’s support.

Preserving ancient practices in Bolivia

For María Eugenia Quispe, herding llamas is more than a way of life: it’s also a way to maintain spiritual balance with Mother Earth, or Pachamama.

Her Aymara community in Corque Marka, Bolivia uses llama fat and blood in rituals that they believe ensure plentiful herds and crops. These include the medicinal plants that they use on their llamas, thus continuing the cycle.

“Traditional veterinary medicine has been integral to our culture for generations. Knowledge has been passed down through observation and practice,” María Eugenia explains.

But today, this knowledge is at risk. Biodiversity loss is causing many plant species to disappear, while younger generations tend to overlook their value in favour of modern techniques.

With funding through IPAF, María Eugenia and the Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios Aymara are working to prevent this.

Using the principles of free, prior and informed consent, they consult local llama-herding communities to document and preserve their traditional veterinary practices. At the same time, the organization engages Indigenous youth to ensure this knowledge is passed to future generations.

Bringing colour back to the Andes in Peru

The alpacas of Peru come in a rainbow of earth tones, from grey to brown and deepest black. But a market preference for white alpacas, which are more easily dyed, has led other varieties to become rare.

Fodi Beatriz Huarcaya Ayhua, a young Quechua veterinarian in Iscahuaca, dreams of bringing back the diverse range she remembers from when she was a girl. She's confident she has the knowledge and skills to boost production of alpacas of all colours.

“Both my parents and grandparents were alpaca breeders and I spent my entire upbringing in the countryside, witnessing how they cared for these animals,” says Fodi.

As part of the Rural Research and Training Centre, another IPAF grantee organization, she’s combining scientific techniques with the traditional methods of her ancestors. For example, she uses rainwater-storing qquchas dams alongside modern fencing, which enables sustainable grazing.

As a newly diverse population of alpacas thrives, Fodi is using marketing strategies to find buyers for their coloured fibres. Little by little, the colours of the alpaca are returning to the Andean landscape.

Protecting nature’s diversity in Colombia

The Inga people of southeastern Colombia are the custodians of a rich living tradition: preserving a wide range of native seeds. They sow blends of these seeds in a way that encourages natural pest control.

But as climate change and environmental degradation make farming more difficult, these ancient practices are under threat. Rain now falls earlier in the year, when birds and insects are more likely to eat seedlings, and the pesticides used in response have devastated beneficial species. As yields drop, fewer seeds are conserved, and many are sold to make up for lost income.

Ingry Paola Mojanajinsoy and the Indigenous Association of Cabildos Inga are fighting back. By using an IPAF grant to establish a new Amazonian seedbank in Putumayo, she's reinvigorating the Inga’s traditional practices and protecting biodiversity.

“Amazonian seeds hold great importance as they've been passed down through generations,” Ingry explains. “They thrive without the need for fertilizers or chemicals, provided they’re planted in suitable soil and during the correct season.”

Through her work, Ingry is helping to restore the very foundation of Inga society: suma kausangapa. In this holistic understanding of well-being, the harmonious relationship between humanity and nature is of utmost importance.

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To date, over 212 projects have received IPAF grants in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific.

Together, they are drawing on Indigenous Peoples' ancestral knowledge to conserve ecosystems, build connections and preserve their ways of life – restoring the balance between humanity and nature.