Traditional horticultural and gathering practices in two semi-rural populations of Northwestern Patagonia

Abstract

Horticultural and gathering practices were studied in Comallo and Pilcaniyeu, two semi-rural communities which share a common Mapuche ancestry and occupy similar arid environments in Northwest Patagonia, Argentina. We analyzed cultivation and wild plant gathering using semi-structured interviews. We hypothesized that these activities will be conditioned by access to market economy. Results showed differences in horticultural and gathering patterns in both populations: the community with less access to market economy presented greater richness of cultivated and gathered species and collected more seeds from their own harvests, thus promoting germplasm conservation and higher levels of seed exchange than the community that had more contact with urban centers. In these populations the integration of ancestral and novel knowledge seems to favor flexibility and autonomy, which might help locals deal with change. This could foster greater individual and collective wellbeing, as well as socioecological diversity.