Conserving and adding value to landrace turmeric of Rodrigues Island

GEF Small Grants Programme's project – Rodrigues Island is a low-income economy based on traditional agriculture, fishing and livestock rearing. The production of some landrace varieties has considerably decreased in the last few years, mainly due to rising temperatures, variable precipitation, reduced water availability and soil fertility, as well as introduction of other exotic varieties and competition from imported products. Such impacts, closely directed by climate change, have significantly altered the ecosystems upon which communities rely for agriculture and have often severely affected their livelihoods and the local biodiversity. As the landrace turmeric is particularly at risk, this project aims at supporting the Rodrigues Turmeric Producers Association (RTPA) in adding market value to turmeric through the transformation into powder, to prevent a loss of this landrace biodiversity.