Chile farmers save plants – level 2 – News in Levels

22-11-2024 07:00

In Chile, farmers called seed guardians are protecting old crops which the Mapuche people grow. They collect, plant, and trade seeds to save traditional vegetables like tomatoes and corn.

These plants are disappearing because of environmental changes. Nowadays, farmers choose plants which grow faster. One guardian, Ana Yanez, said that farmers don’t use these old seeds much anymore, so they are hard to find. Expert Ricardo Perus explains that keeping many types of seeds is important. This is because climate change can make some crops unsuitable for their region. To grow new crops, farmers need the genetic diversity of old seeds.

Guardians like Pablo Caceres, who is also a chef, work with fancy restaurants. This year, he planted 26 tomato types, compared to only five before.

Difficult words: traditional (from the past), unsuitable (not right), genetic diversity (many types of a species of a plant or animal).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.