By Nicolas Cortes
SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos in South America are being hailed as heroes of the high plateaus for their resilience to harsh environments and climate change, as well as their cultural, economic and ecological value.
Representatives from Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and Peru met in the city of Antofagasta in northern Chile in early May to celebrate the animals and strengthen management strategies in a meeting supported by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“These animals are considered heroes for their ability to thrive in harsh ecosystems like the high plateau,” Andres Gonzalez, a regional officer for Animal Health and Production at the FAO told Reuters.
“They represent a natural hardiness that allows them to adapt and continue to thrive in these adverse conditions.”
A report issued during the meeting, noted that as pressures on natural resources and impacts from climate change continue to grow, camelids “play a crucial role in the nutrition and livelihoods” of people across the highlands.
South American camelids are mostly concentrated in the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, where they perform key functions for local communities and ecosystems.
Peru leads the region in production, accounting for 5 million alpacas, or nearly 80%, while Bolivia accounts for more than 60% of llamas.
Despite having a smaller share, numbering tens of thousands, camelids in Chile account for 40% to 80% of income in high Andean farms, according to the FAO.
Aside from the economic benefit, camelids are also an ancestral way of life on the highlands, with breeding knowledge passing down generations of Indigenous of Aymara, Likan Antay, Quechua and Colla peoples.
“They are blessed animals,” Evelyn Salas, a Peruvian alpaca and llama breeder said at the meeting.
“They represent our culture, our life, our ancestry, our roots, and they continue to be our future.”
(Reporting by Nicolás Cortés Guerrero; Writing by Juana Casas; Editing by Alexander Villegas and Sandra Maler)
