Climate Variability and Mapuche-Pewenche homegardens: Adaptation practices in times of change in the southern Andes of Chile

Abstract

Mountain family farming has developed a biocultural memory that integrates knowledge, practices, and beliefs linked to their territory. However, the high dependence on climate makes these groups of farmers particularly vulnerable to climate variability. This study analyses adaptation practices in Mapuche-Pewenche family home gardens in the Southern Andes using a predominantly qualitative mixed methodological approach. The results reveal local perceptions of heat and physiological stress on crops along with increasing water scarcity, and 17 adaptive practices were identified and grouped into two categories (conservation and efficient water usage, and agricultural-spatial management). These practices emerge both from biocultural memory and from the articulation with other knowledge systems (e.g., State extensionism). The study highlights the key role of biocultural memory in the construction of adaptive socio-ecological systems, as well as the need for public policies agreed upon with indigenous peoples and local communities for their adaptation and appropriation.