Elderly Adults in Cundinamarca Safeguard Over 160 Species that Preserve Agrobiodiversity and Rural Culture

• The presentation of results from the project led by AGROSAVIA and the Secretariat of Rural Affairs of the Government of Cundinamarca highlighted the role of rural home gardens as vital spaces for the in situ conservation of native seeds, food culture, and territorial identity.

Mosquera, Cundinamarca. October 7, 2025. With more than 160 species preserved, including 20 types of maize and beans, the gardens established by the elderly members of Corporación Festival Americano del Maíz in Gachetá and Asociación de Semillas Ancestrales de la Villa de Guaduas, Cundinamarca, were recognized as true guardians of agrobiodiversity and examples of rural resilience in Cundinamarca. This was revealed during the presentation of results of the project Characterization of Households and Conservation Systems of Ancestral Species, which worked hand in hand with these seed custodians who shared their traditional conservation and production practices.

The research, led by an interdisciplinary team from AGROSAVIA with the support of the Secretariat of Rural Affairs, enabled the acknowledgement of how these gardens not only keep invaluable genetic diversity alive but also serve as spaces for cultural transmission and the strengthening of rural territorial identity.

The research team from AGROSAVIA's Tibaitatá Research Center (Fabio Martínez, Douglas Gómez, and Hyrcania López), its Agrobiodiversity Department (Carolina González and Zahara Lasso), and its central headquarters (Claudia Villota), emphasized that conserving agrobiodiversity also means recognizing rural wisdom. They stressed that working alongside the elderly –true seed guardians in Cundinamarca– is key to ensuring that ancestral knowledge, crop diversity, and food culture continue to nourish present and future generations.