Climate Change and Peruvian Potato Farming: Traditional Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation

dc.contributor.authorGiamberso, Lisa Rose
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-18T17:52:09Z
dc.date.available2014-09-18T17:52:09Z
dc.date.issued2014-06
dc.description58 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Environmental Studies and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2014.en_US
dc.description.abstractAnthropogenic climate change is impacting Peruvian potat farming as a result of increased temperatures, erratic weather and unpredictable precipitation. In Peru, potato farming is not only a means of subsistence, but it also embodies significant beliefs and traditions of Quechua culture. As climate change intensifies, the need for farmers to adapt to the impacts is increasing. This situation is applicable across the globe in other agricultural communities. Focusing on the Peruvian highlands, this thesis asks: considering the impacts of climate change on Peruvian potato farming, how can farmers most effectively adapt? This thesis answers this question by exploring the current literature on adaptation and assessing how four stakeholders - potato farmers, U.S. media, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and institutions approach adaptation strategies. The theme that emerges from this research is the effectiveness of traditional knowledge in Peruvian potato farming considering farmers' historical experience with climate variability. I argue that traditional knowledge is an effective adaptation strategy and should be given a legitimate space in the adaptation discussion. The significant role traditional knowledge can play in adaptation is consistent with emerging adaptation literature. In the broader context, while this thesis focuses on the role traditional knowledge plays in climate change adaptation with Peruvian potato farming, it is applicable on a larger scale. Rethinking the concept of adaptation and questioning certain related terms such as vulnerability and resilience could result in a more well-rounded and effective approach to adaptation globally.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/18242
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesUniversity of Oregon Thesis, Dept. of Environmental Studies and the Robert D. Clark Honors College, B.A., 2014;
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.en_US
dc.subjectClimate changeen_US
dc.subjectNative Potatoen_US
dc.subjectAgricultureen_US
dc.subjectPeruvian Andesen_US
dc.subjectAdaptationen_US
dc.subjectTraditional knowledgeen_US
dc.subjectPotato farmingen_US
dc.subjectPeruen_US
dc.titleClimate Change and Peruvian Potato Farming: Traditional Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptationen_US
dc.typeThesis / Dissertationen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Thesis Final-Giamberso.pdf
Size:
553.22 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.13 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: