El Choro
© Nick BallónWe Feed The World
The Quechua community, called El Choro, a village of 400 people isabout 3-4 hours drive into the mountains from Cochabamba city. At 5000m of altitude the community is reviving their indigenous culture, traditions, their autonomy and food sovereignty. They have succeeded in becoming self-sufficient in food, recuperating at least 100 varieties of potatoes, many types of quinoa, maize and other crops.
Many indigenous crops were banned under colonial rule and by the catholicchurch. They live with the philosophy of Sumak Kawsay and have avery holistic and communal cosmovision that emphasises the interconnectedness of everything.
Nick's El Choro project was part of'We Feed The World,'a global photography project celebrating small, family farmers and their success in feeding 70% of the world.Nick was invited by curator Cheryl Newman to join this project, alongside a curated selection of 40 photographers.
Each photographer documented the life of sustainable, small family farmers across six continents. We Feed The World resulted in a touring exhibition and a book in 2018
click to view the complete set of images in the archive
