Table 3.
Main components and drivers of llama caravans in Santa Catalina
| Components | Case study | Value | Description | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Llamas |
Intrinsic Relational Instrumental |
Domestic animal co-created 5000 years ago in the Central Andes | A white llama, Napa, was sacred in the Inca empire |
| Nature contribution to people |
Llama caravans that transport llama fiber and dry llama meat in llama fiber woven sacks secured by llama ropes |
Relational Instrumental |
Caravan llamas are castrated. They are young males called pakarane or orco llamita in Quechua |
Llamas can carry 25 kg (2 arrobas) each Groups of 30 to 80 llamas are driven by 3 to 5 people |
| Anthropogenic assets | Ancestral techniques for loading, driving and unpacking the animals |
Intrinsic Relational |
Llameros use ropes and sacks made of llama wool to load the animals | The llameros manage the animals with postures and special sounds |
| Traditional local fair that includes trading and social activities ones (football, music) |
Instrumental relational |
The main exchange is llama fiber for 50-kg sacks of flour, | Peasants brings their yearly production | |
| Extra-Andean market of fiber and processed food | To determine the price of the fiber | The price of selling fiber is an incentive | ||
| Institutions and Governance and other indirect drivers | Traders and export Textile and processed food companies | Instrumental | Trucks carrying processed food arrive to the fair from large cities and leave with fiber to sell to export companies | Llameros can move between the capitalist economy and the traditional exchange structures |
| Direct natural drivers | Climate |
Relational intrinsic |
Lightning Storms. (e.g. the leader of the caravan was killed by lightning) | Drought can be an obstacle to travel |
| Natural vegetation/ pastures |
Intrinsic relational |
The food of llamas is based on natural vegetation | If there are not sufficient pastures along the way, they cannot travel | |
|
Direct anthropogenic driver |
Vehicles |
Instrumental Relational |
10 h in the vehicle equals 5 days walking in the caravan | Vehicle are increasing as mode of transport |
| Good quality of life | A safe trip with good interchanges. Bring food to the llameros families for one year | Relational instrumental | The caravan’s management techniques have a huge cultural value as caravans started more than 3000 years ago and have little changes | Andean culture, since the Inca times, recognized the llama an iconic and sacred animal |