A second climate smart agricultural revolution in the Andes

Climate change is impacting the lives of potato farmers in the Andean region, intensifying damage from pests and diseases, increasing risk of soil erosion and contributing to loss of biodiversity. In an award-winning presentation at the 10^th World Potato Congress in Cusco, Peru, Graham Thiele, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) looked to the past to see what lessons can be drawn from the way in which the Wari and Inka Empires adapted to a warming climate one thousand years ago.

In the following Q&A and video with the International Potato Center, Thiele breaks down the history, the evidence, and key actions that are needed to respond to these challenges.