Publications /  Annual Report 2001

Tapping into biodiversity: Research on neglected Andean crops set to pay dividends A little public-sector investment goes a long way towards saving the threatened genetic heritage of the Andes – especially if it helps develop new markets

Kitchen table research yields a prize-winner "Mmm, that’s nice!" says Felipe, licking his lips. Felipe is a 6-year-old boy whose taste for natural sugars has triggered new thinking in ongoing research at CIP. Earlier that evening, Felipe’s father, CIP scientist Michael Hermann, had brought home some strange-looking, blackish-skinned roots, which he had first chopped then put through a juicer in the family’s kitchen. Reduction by boiling had resulted in a small amount of thick, dark syrup, which Hermann had offered to Felipe and his older sister, Barbara, as a before bedtime treat. The source of the syrup was a traditional Andean root crop, yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius), domesticated centuries ago. Until recently, yacon remained little known outside its original habitat, modern-day Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Now, scientists believe, it is about to become a household word in many other countries, thanks to its remarkable health-promoting properties. Juicy yacon roots are rich in oligofructose, a carbohydrate that, although sweet, carries no calorie penalty because it is not absorbed by the body. In addition, as it passes through the colon oligofructose is fermented by beneficial bacteria in a process that lowers pH, leading to improved intestinal health. Oligofructose also lowers the blood’s triglyceride content, increases the body’s uptake of calcium and improves vitamin B synthesis. Because of these properties, consumed either fresh or processed, yacon can help prevent such conditions as constipation, cancer of the colon and osteoporosis. Yacon is, furthermore, a hardy crop and can be grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, making it an ideal candidate for the organic as well as the health food market. CIP got to know yacon in the early 1990s, when it implemented a collaborative research project on nine Andean roots and tubers that had been largely overlooked by researchers.

The project involved studies of the crops' distribution and diversity, as well as germplasm collection. This prepared the way for later research on processing and marketing. The idea was to save the region’s threatened biodiversity while creating new income-earning opportunities for farmers.

It was during this project that Hermann first became interested in processing yacon. One day he crushed samples of the tubers and tried to make jam from them in the laboratory, but the results, obtained without removing the fiber or adding lemon juice to prevent browning, were disappointing. "All I got was a kind of primeval green slime," he says.

Three years later, Hermann’s interest was rekindled when he was appointed head of CIP’s postharvest project. "We were on the lookout for new products that farmers could make easily in their own homes," he says, "so I decided to have another go." The family kitchen seemed the ideal place to start.

The Andes are home to unique root and  tuber crops and high-protein grains  like quinoa.

After successfully pilot testing the syrup on his children, Hermann transferred work on the new product back to CIP laboratories, where he and his assistant Ivan Manrique began by following procedures that are well charted for many fruits. They experimented with using variables like adding lemon juice and other antioxidants, peeling roots and filtering the syrup. They also got hold of a special evaporator adapted for use over a wood-burning stove that was originally developed in Canada for making maple syrup.

But the most important variable was the roots themselves. CIP scientists contacted colleagues at the university of Oxapampa in central Peru, where the crop had long been grown. Together they made contact with a group of farmers, who were immediately interested in finding a new market for their crop. The farmers began to work with the researchers to identify plant types that had large, succulent roots with a high oligofructose content. Hermann and his colleagues, in turn, agreed to help the farmers organize a yacon growers’ association and build a pilot plant to process the syrup.

In late 2000, Hermann and Manrique decided to enter the newly perfected syrup in Peru’s Innovación Tecnológica Agro-Industrial, an annual competition offering prizes for new products with potential to increase the incomes of poor rural people. "I didn’t think we had a chance of winning," says Hermann. But to the scientists’ delight, the product earned first prize, which carried a cash award of US$8,000. The sum was just enough to fund the projected processing plant.

The prize also brought a surge of publicity and commercial interest in yacon, encouraging Hermann and his colleagues to conduct research on marketing. They are now developing a brand name and label, and are conducting surveys on consumer acceptability. If their research continues to be successful, Andean farmers will soon have a new source of income to help them protect — and promote — a long neglected crop.

Spuds go up-market

Some resemble butterfly’s wings; others have concentric circles, like agate; one bears the outline of a bicycle wheel, another of a starfish. With their delicate designs in orange, red and purple, these patterned potato chips look like miniature works of art (see previous page). But the patterns are natural, of course, each representing a unique cross-section of the multifaceted potato tuber’s diversity.

"The chips are made from just a few of the more than 3800 varieties of native Andean potatoes," explains CIP’s marketing expert Thomas Bernet, who works closely with Hermann. These varieties are a source of pride to the region’s resource-poor farming communities, who often greet visitors with papa regalo, a gift of potatoes reflecting local diversity. Farmers typically grow up to 40 types of native potato in the same field. But many of these varieties are found only in the areas where they have evolved over centuries, and few make it as far, even, as the Lima market.

That the chips exist in prototype owes everything to the vision and commitment of CIP plant breeder Merideth Bonierbale and her research associate, Walter Amoros. The two began to explore possibilities with the chips unofficially, at a time when such work fell outside the scope of CIP’s research agenda. "We were considered truant when we first announced our results," says Bonierbale. "But we have since found a legitimate home in CIP’s new project on postharvest utilization, launched when the Center revised its mandate to include this kind of work." Product champions like Bonierbale and Amoros can be essential in focusing attention on the potential of minor crops, which are often left off the research agenda.

Under Bonierbale’s guidance, Amoros spent three years screening 400 varieties for their processing aptitude while keeping up with his other duties in the breeding for resistance area. This exercise led to a short-list of about 50 varieties with exceptional processing qualities, from which seven were selected for inclusion in chipping tests.

Throughout the process, the scientists have kept in close touch with farming communities that grow these varieties, involving them in on-farm conservation and participatory evaluation. The farmers view the colored chips with enthusiasm and are keen to get the product into the market.

"For the purposes of processing, these varieties beat conventional potatoes hands down," says Bonierbale. The tubers have a higher dry matter content, so they absorb less oil when frying. They are also tolerant to cold, making them less likely to darken. Everyone who has seen the patterned chips agrees that they would make a unique gourmet item. And the coloring denotes the presence of antioxidants, adding a plus on the health side. Best of all, the chips are very tasty, with a full flavor quite unlike the blandness of most modern varieties.

In the era of globalization, characteristics such as these can make the difference between a species’ extinction and its survival. As borders open and economies liberalize, developing economies will find it hard to compete in the already saturated market for conventional food products. Instead, argues Bernet, they should act fast to enter the emerging markets for gourmet, organic and fair-trade foods.

"Small-scale farmers in the Andes have a competitive advantage in these niche markets," says Bernet. "Their produce comes from an environment high above the pollution of the lowlands. The possibility of helping to lessen their poverty gives an added appeal on equity grounds. And their land is renowned for its beauty, giving plenty of scope for attractive packaging."

Ancient delicacies

Bernet and his colleagues will share the responsibility for marketing the chips with Papa Andina, a project established to promote Andean potato species by developing new products and markets. The project works with national partners in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.

One native species, Solanum phureja, is already gaining ground. It produces small, deep-yellow tubers that, like the colored chips, are as tasty to eat as they are attractive to look at. "The image of these potatoes is a far cry from the working-class spud," says André Devaux, Papa Andina’s project leader. "They are begging to be served at tables in city restaurants." Only two countries, Colombia and Ecuador, export this delicacy at present. Devaux is investigating the potential for expanding the market, particularly in the organic-foods sector.

Another product that could soon be consumed more widely is chuño blanco or tunta, made from bitter-tasting potatoes that can be toxic if eaten fresh. In this case, an ancient processing system adds to the product’s interest. Tolerant of frost and insects, the bitter varieties are grown at high altitudes on the altiplano (high plains) of Bolivia and Peru, where most other varieties perform poorly.

Farmers harvest the crop from May to July, leaving the tubers out at night in temperatures that sink below zero. Once the frost has broken down the tubers' tissue, their water is expelled by treading on them. This is usually done by women who take their shoes off in order to experience the right "feel" for the work and so bring just the right amount of pressure to bear: the aim is to gently squeeze, but not crush, the tubers.

Once trodden, the potatoes are left to dry during several hot highland days before being soaked in water to totally rid them of their toxic compounds, then redried. Besides making bitter potatoes edible, chuño can be stored for long periods with no refrigeration. To use the tubers, cooks simply rehydrate them.

At present, the market for chuño blanco is almost entirely local, but there are indications that other markets could develop. Peruvian and Bolivian immigrants in cities such as Buenes Aires often ask their relatives to bring the precious freeze-dried tubers when they visit, and small surpluses occasionally find their way to urban fruit and vegetable stalls. Papa Andina is investigating the possibility of broadening chuño’s appeal by improving its quality and presentation.

Strategies for small-scale producers

While new products undoubtedly offer tempting opportunities, small-scale farmers need to look carefully before they leap, warns Devaux. CIP can play a critical role by analyzing the pros and cons of entering the market.

The Center has developed a set of criteria for this purpose. "The first thing we ask is whether the product requires labor or capital," Devaux says. "Labor is something the resource-poor farmer can provide, whereas large amounts of capital are not." The yellow potato is a case in point: the small tubers are planted at high densities, ruling out the use of machinery for harvesting and so rendering the crop unsuitable for large-scale farmers.

Quality requirements are a second criterion: unlike tuber size, which can be assessed relatively easily by digging up a plant, processing characteristics such as chemical content must be measured in a laboratory, putting the resource-poor farmer at a disadvantage.

A third, closely related criterion is riskiness. "A small-scale farmer cannot wait until next year if his or her produce fails to meet market specifications," says Devaux. "A certain amount of risk is inevitable, but it should be kept to a minimum."

Resistance gene consensus map for potato Compiling information from genetic maps of several Solanum species helps breeders to identify potential sources of unique resistance and corresponding genome regions for incorporation into new varieties

Farmers also need help in developing the terms on which they will do business and in finding reputable companies that will accept those terms and stick to them. "As a public-sector institute, our job is to take the part of the small producer," says Devaux. "Resource-poor farmers are often inexperienced in dealing with buyers and their bargaining power tends to be weak." They need to form collectives to protect their interests, as well as to organize production and delivery or to carry out processing at the village level — another area in which CIP can provide advice.

The benefits from this type of backing are multiple. They include increased income flows for farmers; more jobs in processing, packaging and marketing; new high-value products for consumers; and a safer future for some unique crops. This is a remarkable pay-off for a small initial injection of public money.