Breeding differently : participatory selection and scaling up innovations in Colombia

This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and with financial support from the Government of Canada, provided through Global Affairs Canada (GAC)This research-for-development programme links agriculture and nutrition through a two-stage project. It was conducted within the framework of the projects “SAN-Nariño” and “More Nutritious Potatoes,” and developed and delivered three new potato cultivars: Criolla Dorada, Criolla Ocarina and Criolla Sua Pa. Elements for scaling up the more nutritious potatoes include supply, marketing, demand, and public policies. Men and women farmers improved their capacities for agricultural production and selected the best potato cultivars for agronomic conditions and culinary characteristics. In Colombia, iron deficiencies affect 32% of young children; 43% of the Colombian population have zinc and vitamin A deficiencies