FAO: Camelids are a livelihood for 200,000 families in the Andean highlands of South America

Camelids are a key part of the economy, livelihoods, food security, and culture of approximately 200,000 families in the Andean highlands.

There are more than 12 million domesticated and wild camelids in South America: four million llamas and 7.5 million alpacas make up the domesticated herd, while 350,000 vicuñas and 600,000 guanacos make up the wild herd. Eighty-five percent of the domesticated species are raised by small producers, with herds of less than 100 animals, where women play a fundamental role in the production of milk, meat, and fiber.

Alpaca and llama wool are prized over other textile fibers for their softness, strength, warmth, variety of natural colors, and sustainability, among other characteristics. This has led to their breeding spreading to other regions such as North America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

"It is mainly women who produce charque (dehydrated meat typical of South America's Andean and southern regions). In the past, it was always the men who worked, but nowadays we also contribute to the family income," says Roberta Rivera, a dried meat producer in Turco, a small town in the Bolivian Altiplano.

These species are present in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, Latin American countries. They represent a viable alternative for diversifying livestock farming and protecting high Andean ecosystems. Their integration into production systems also supports reducing hunger and promoting sustainable community development.

"Recognizing their vital role as 'heroes' of the deserts and highlands, camelids in Latin America are central to Andean communities and their livelihoods. These animals can adapt to extreme environments and represent an important economic, social, and cultural resource. Encouraging sustainable consumption of the goods they produce is key to eradicating hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition," explained FAO Regional Representative Mario Lubetkin.

Camelids play an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to the fight against hunger, the eradication of extreme poverty, empowering women, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. 

As part of the International Year of Camelids, the Regional Meeting of South American Camelids will be held in La Paz, Bolivia, on September 16 and 17. This event, co-organized by FAO and the Government of Bolivia, with support from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will bring together government authorities, experts, academics, producers and representatives of civil society to discuss the main challenges related to the conservation and protection of camelids, the promotion of markets, economic development and promotion of the camelid sector.

"We must invest in capacity building, research, and promotion for camelids and associated value chains. Governments and policymakers should guide and promote greater investments in camelid-related research and extension, as well as innovative practices and technologies. They should also invest in capacity building of local actors in the camelid sector, prioritize participatory approaches, and conserve, revitalize, and protect the traditional knowledge, Indigenous peoples and local communities' own practices and heritage, leaving no one behind," concludes Lubetkin.