Two traditional agricultural systems rooted in the ancestral knowledge and practices of Indigenous Peoples in the northern Andean highlands and the southern mountain ranges of Chile have been recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
These living systems have evolved over centuries in high-altitude Andean landscapes shaped by extreme climatic conditions, as well as in the forested valleys and mountains of the Pehuenche territory. Across these diverse environments, practices such as homegardening, camelid herding, and seasonal transhumance, continue to sustain food, cultural identity, and community life.
"As new sites are recognized, we are reminded that agricultural heritage is not a legacy of the past, but a living foundation for the future," said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at FAO. "These systems show how food production, biodiversity conservation and cultural identity can reinforce one another, offering concrete pathways to make agrifood systems more resilient to climate change and more sustainable for the generations to come."
With these designations, Chile now counts three GIAHS systems, and Latin America as a region has 11 designated systems across five countries. Globally, 104 agricultural heritage systems have now been recognized for their unique contribution to heritage, biodiversity and food diversity, climate resilience, livelihoods, and culture.
These recognitions are also linked to long-term efforts in Chile to document and strengthen agricultural heritage, supported through a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded initiative implemented by FAO together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile.
In the regions of Arica y Parinacota and Tarapacá, Aymara, Quechua and Likan Antay Indigenous Peoples sustain a system that integrates camelid herding - primarily llamas and alpacas - with the cultivation of native Andean crops such as quinoa, maize and potatoes. Found between 3,000 and 4,500 metres above sea level, the system is adapted to extreme climatic conditions, including temperature variation, aridity and limited water resources.
Rotational grazing and seasonal transhumance help maintain fragile high-altitude pasturelands, while terraced fields and micro-irrigation systems support agriculture in steep and dry environments. Collective water governance, grounded in customary norms, ensures equitable and sustainable use of water resources.
In this system, women play a central role in seed conservation, food processing and intergenerational knowledge transmission, strengthening cultural continuity and nutrition. The system contributes to conservation of genetic diversity for food and agriculture, food security and climate resilience, and is closely linked to cultural practices that honor the land and its living beings.
In the southern Andes, Mapuche-Pehuenche Indigenous Peoples maintain a diversified system that combines biodiverse homegardens, forest gathering, and seasonal livestock movement between highland and lowland pastures. The system is deeply connected to the pewen (Araucaria araucana), whose edible seeds (piñones) play a central role in nutrition, social identity and ceremonial life.
Homegardens, managed primarily by women, contain hundreds of cultivated and medicinal species, supporting food security, health and the conservation of agrobiodiversity. Transhumant herding sustains the productivity of high mountain ecosystems, while forest gathering reinforces cultural ties and ecological knowledge.
The system reflects principles of reciprocity, collective work and respect for all life (Itrofil Mogen in the Mapuche language), expressed through ceremonies, exchange networks and territorial governance. The landscape includes native forests, wetlands and volcanic soils, intersecting in some areas with national protected lands and UNESCO-recognized sites.
Living agricultural heritage for the future
The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) is a flagship programme of FAO that identifies, safeguards and supports agricultural systems with rich biodiversity, resilient food practices and deep cultural roots. By working with governments, local actors and Indigenous Peoples, the programme promotes dynamic conservation, ensuring that these living agricultural heritage systems continue to evolve and contribute to sustainable rural development, climate resilience and the well-being of present and future generations.
