65 Alejandro Argumedo
Photo: Khanh Tran-Thanh
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Centro de Interpretación in the Potato Park. The Potato Park is located in a region that is the centre of origin
to over 4000 varieties of potatoes. The Centro de Interpretación also functions as a research centre for the
continued cultivation of potato varieties.
ensure access by women and other poor
social groups to food security and nutrition.
The result was the transformation of the
draft writing process into an indigenous
methodology for the project and the
production of a draft protocol based on the
Quechua customary law and principles of
the communities of the Potato Park.
Phase 2: Consultation, discussion, revision
and negotiation of the inter-community
agreement
In this stage, the main objective was to
expand community participation and
control in the BCP development process. A
broad-based consultation and negotiation
process was initiated throughout the park,
involving local authorities and community
members in discussions concerning each
of the proposed articles in the draft BCP
and the options for implementing them.
These discussions were also used to collect
and incorporate community members’
doubts, questions, observations and
suggestions regarding the draft and how to
improve and strengthen the document.
Participatory methodologies played an
important role, particularly in identifying
participants to be involved in the consultation and negotiation process. ANDES
and park researchers used the Social
Analysis System (SAS) to identify social
networks of actors involved in the park,
and potential project participants.3 The
final decisions about inclusion in the
consultation process were made by
members of the Association of Communities of the Potato Park.
Once identified, key actors were invited
to participate in consultation groups which
examined and discussed the mandate of the
draft BCP as well as the details of each
3 Social Analysis System (SAS) approaches seek to promote participatory social analysis,
integrate research into action, support learning systems, and develop a process management
approach to the project activities.