Seed exchange fair - Muyu Raymi (seed festival)

The seeds of the farmers in the indigenous communities of Cotacachi have been passed on from many generations. The initiative to promote seed fairs was started in 2003, and has been implemented by the Union of Indigenous Peasant Organizations of Cotacachi, Ecuador, the Community Organization of Andean Women of Cotacachi and the National Institute of Agricultural Research. The objectives include to: facilitate access to native seeds through farmer-to-farmer exchange; facilitate the exchange of traditional knowledge on conservation and use of native varieties among farmers; contribute to improving knowledge on the diversity and variability of farm seeds, among others. The initiative has the following key components: exhibition and exchange of native seed diversity; exhibition of the gastronomic food heritage of indigenous communities and assessment of the state of conservation of agrobiodiversity. The seed fair - Muyu Raymi (seed festival) has been held for 18 consecutive years. Other key outcomes include: 80 % of the participants are women in addition to having high participation of farmers from the canton’s rural communities and other areas of the country The seed fair is a mechanism for influence local public policies for the conservation and promotion of agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge. The fair is also a space to give incentives to farmers in recognition of their important contribution to the conservation of traditional agroecosystems.