Exploring Casma Valley geographical kinship: Mapping the landscape of identity.

Social work as a profession historically advocates that communities deserve self-determination, cultural sustainability, and social justice. In light of these considerations, this research examines the social, cultural, and spiritual planting practices of the Casma people of North Peru regarding their native Apichu/Kumara/Camote (A/K/C) or sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.). For Indigenous/Mestizo families A/K/C represent the symbolic reflection in the preservation of communal knowledge, rituals, languages, traditions and teaching and learning practices mainly as a way of protecting community-base customs regarding autonomy, empowerment, self-determination, modernity, and cultural sustainability. Sadly, traditional planting practices, rituals, and ceremonies are becoming extinct. In this regard, Lundy (2008) critically states that many developing countries must adhere to imposed structural adjustment programs. This external pressure requires Indigenous/Mestizo farmers to turn their best agricultural lands over to export crops to pay off their national debt, causing unsustainable practices, land degradation and erosion, as well as setbacks in social-welfare delivery to vulnerable groups. An important consideration is also the preservation of their communal (traditional) knowledge. Prado (2007) emphasizes the importance of social work within community adaptation strategies to Climate Change (CC). Viewed thus, the sustainability embedded in the revitalization of A/K/C, traditional ways of knowing' can also be considered as one of the adaptation strategies to help Indigenous/Mestizo communities to become resilient to the impacts of CC. Undoubtedly, urgent solutions are needed that are both effective and respectful of the cultural context and local knowledge in which they will be applied. As a result, this research was framed within the following qualitative methodologies: using community case study, with a purposive sampling with six (families) participants. Data was gathered through informal conversat