Memory and Exile: Prospects and Dilemmas in Plant Genetic Resource Conservation

As complementation is sought between ex situ and in situ conservation, hybridized approaches to plant genetic resources management have been evolving. This paper examines emerging forms and players in the conservation of potato landraces in the Andes, particularly with regards to the repatriation of potatoes from the gene bank at the International Potato Center in Lima to the Quechua farmers in Cusco, Peru. These innovations have opened possibilities but have also raised questions in the theory and practice of conserving cultural and genetic diversity. Particularly, the creation of the Potato Park brings the question of milieus versus sites of memory to the fore.