The T’ikapapa partnership model ^Featured

Original project description

The T’ikapapa model links small operation farmers, who preserve and produce hundreds of native Andean potatoes varieties, with other potato chain partners to take advantage of high-value niche markets in urban centres.
Extreme poverty and rich biodiversity coexist in the Peruvian Andes, a region that is home to more than 3000 native potato varieties. Potatoes are an integral part of the Andean culture, but despite their excellent taste and value to local people, most of the varieties are little known in urban markets. A growing demand for specialty food however offers a great opportunity to generate sustainable incomes.
Farmers from the high Andean communities in Huancavelica, Junín, Huánuco, Ayacucho, Pasco, Cajamarca and Apurímac were helped to organize themselves into groups which then collaborated with A&L SAC, a private processing company responsible for delivering the potatoes to Wong, the largest supermarket chain in Peru. The commercial success of T’ikapapa as a gourmet food has helped to prove the worth of native potatoes from small-scale farmers and the value of their cultural heritage. The T’ikapapa initiative has already increased the income of over 500 farm families in the Peruvian Andes, stimulated new collaboration among farmers and commercial organizations, and created a completely new market for native potato varieties in Peru. The main activities are:
• advancing the commercialisation of local potato varieties
• enabling local communities to set-up their own marketing and distribution channels
• achieving wider recognition in the national market and media

Current project updates

Last updated: 2 September 2009

After winning both a SEED Award and the World Challenge Award in 2007, T’ikapapa has evolved as a model and marketing concept to utilise potato biodiversity and develop new products. These have been replicated by other new processors and native potato chain stakeholders, scaling-up the traded volume of native potatoes. The media and press coverage that the initial partnership received - both locally and internationally - helped to raise awareness of native Peruvian potatoes and boosted consumption in market niche. Over the past few years, the partnership, together with other local public and private-sector organisations, has lobbied with the Peruvian government to allow the certification of native potato seed. This registration allows farmers to produce healthy seed for native varieties under the country’s national seed certification program. Certified seed of selected native potato varieties will help to expand and formalise the rapidly growing native potato market by guaranteeing a steady supply of high quality tubers as raw material for the processing industry.
In order to develop a social marketing strategy, a marketing label has been created to identify products manufactured from native potatoes supplied by Andean native communities.
The initial T’ikapapa partnership underwent a professional evaluation (both business and strategic) in 2008 by a SEED-appointed UNEP consultant.

Growth plans description

• Disseminate a website and strengthen labelling system to promote “native” potatoes consumption and utilisation (www.papasandinas.org/sello).
• Position their products as “jewels” from the “cradle of potatoes”
• Build consumer demand in international markets
• Develop technological innovation and support technical assistance provided by local partners to improve agronomic practices and postharvest management for quality potato production.
• Implement a strategic plan for quality seed production and utilisation.

Current Needs

To ensure the long-term future of this innovative, locally-led partnership for sustainable development, additional contacts, financing opportunities and communication and marketing networks are important. In particular, the following support is needed:
• Increase consumption of native potatoes through channels for disseminating information on ‘Native Potatoes’ - articles, websites, events, trade fairs. Tailored information can be made available upon request.
• networks, expertise, experience, and promotion for the labelling concept, including outscaling to new markets.
• Development of regional stakeholder platforms as a strategy to connect local potato stakeholders with potential urban retailers, processors, exporters or distributors in foreign markets.
• strengthening local farmer organisations and technical assistance to obtain quality potato production and implementation of good agronomic practices with quality assurance and post harvest handling, including grading, bagging, and storage.
• promoting the production and utilisation of clean potato seed, especially for the varieties which are most popular with private partners.

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