La Carob Week celebrates its ninth edition in Chilecito (La Rioja, Argentina) with the motto “The carob tree and its added value at the source”, a program that extends of October 27 to 31 and which combines research, outreach, training and culture to put this native tree and its ecosystem at the center.
The meeting is coordinated by the Institute of Mountain and Arid Environments (IAMRA) of the National University of Chilecito (UNdeC), and brings together the Argentine Food Foundation (FADA), the Ministry of Production and the Secretariat of Agriculture of La Rioja, in addition to the Secretariats of Tourism and Culture from the Municipality of Chilecito and the José Manuel Estrada School of Vichigasta.
Program and featured activities
The week started with a Press conference in the Gonzaleano Cultural Hall and the opening of the poster exhibition from previous editions. The exhibition remains open in shifts of 9:00 - 12:00 and 18:00 - 21:00, with photographs, posters and productions that review what has been achieved regarding the carob tree.
The official ceremony was held on Monday the 27th at the Federal Caudillos Square, with the delivery of recipe books for cooking with carob, Argentine wine tastings by FADA and an artistic intervention by the ballet “Madre Americana” linked to the municipal Secretariat of Culture.
On Tuesday 28th the workshop talks in secondary schools in the department, with the participation of IAMRA, the provincial Agriculture Secretariat and FADA, addressing production, bioeconomy and added value at source.
The activity “Fruits and flavors” is scheduled for Wednesday the 29th: Carob in the kitchen”, led by technician Johana María Telma Barros (CRILAR–CONICET), which will take place at the EPET No. 2 Paula Albarracín de Sarmiento, the city's gastronomy school.
On Thursday the 30th the focus shifts to Los Sarmientos Campus with keynote lectures from professionals from various invited institutions, with live streaming to facilitate access for the community.
The closing day, Friday the 31st, includes the exhibition of posters for Algarrobo Week, the participation of 6th grade students from San Martín Private School with the work “Talampaya, a portal to the past”, as well as the presentation of distinguished trees and an artistic flourish from the folk ballet and the UNdeC choral group.
Organizing institutions and venues
The event is the result of an inter-institutional network that brings together the UNdeC and its IAMRA with provincial and municipal bodies, educational centers and third sector entities such as PALACE, joining forces to protect the native forest and spread the uses of carob.
The activities are divided between public and academic spaces: Gonzaleano Cultural Hall, Federal Caudillos Square, Los Sarmientos Campus and EPET No. 2, in addition to schools in the department, which favors community participation and access to education. environmental education.
IAMRA's Scientific and Social Commitment
Since 2017, Carob Week seeks sensitize about the benefits of the carob tree - also known as tacú -, the emblematic species of the Arid mountain which withstands extreme conditions of drought and high temperatures thanks to remarkable adaptations, key to the stability of ecosystems.
In addition to its ecological value, the carob It is a food source with nutritional value; its sustainable use opens up opportunities for health, local economy and the cultural identity of communities in western La Rioja, promoting the restoration with native plants in a context of drought and degraded soils.
Official opening and featured voices
The opening ceremony featured institutional figures such as Rector César Salcedo, the director of IAMRA Dr. Rebeca Lobo, Lic. Mirna Nieto (FADA), the Eng. Analía Prosperí (Ministry of Agriculture), the Professor Aurora Ramírez (Municipal culture), the Tech. Belén Vázquez (Municipal Tourism) and the Prof. Estela Ríos (José Manuel Estrada School, Vichigasta), among other authorities.
Rebeca Lobo emphasized the origin of the initiative in a project of the Engineer Nestor Barbaro on the protection of native forests and the fight against desertification, and highlighted the constant work of the team for almost ten years to strengthen the conservation of the carob tree.
For her part, Mirna Nieto (FADA) highlighted the value of the carob as a complete food, the role of tastings and training to incorporate it into the daily diet, and the continuity of institutional support.
Principal Estela Ríos expressed pride that the agricultural technical college —with protected area— actively participate in the project, emphasizing your contribution to educating students about the importance of carob tree.
Engineer Analía Prosperí emphasized the work in inter-institutional network led by UNdeC and the community roots of the Carob Week, inviting to sustain these actions over time to multiply their impacts.
From Tourism, Belén Vázquez highlighted the intangible heritage that preserves knowledge such as that of the recipe book, connecting it with local tourist experiences and products that make visible the crop from the mountain.
The Secretary of Culture, Aurora Ramírez, highlighted the constancy of the proposal and its contribution to recognizing the heritage and care of the native forest, with the tacú as a tree that the whole world to the community.
Rector César Salcedo reaffirmed that the protection of the natural resources It is a management axis and he valued the joint work with the province and municipality; the UNdeC, he said, will maintain open doors to work with institutions in the environment.
Day-to-day agenda
- Friday 24th — Institutional opening and poster exhibition in the Gonzaleano Cultural Hall.
- Monday 27th — Official ceremony, delivery of recipe books and Argentine wine tastings with carob flour in Plaza Caudillos Federales.
- Tuesday 28th — Workshop talks in schools in the department on production, bioeconomy and added value.
- Wednesday 29th — Workshop “Carob in the kitchen” at the EPET No. 2 (School of Gastronomy).
- Thursday 30th — Master lectures with live broadcast from the Los Sarmientos Campus (UNdeC).
- Friday 31st — Poster exhibition, talks, artistic presentations and recognition to distinguished trees on the Los Sarmientos Campus.
The participation is free and open; the detailed programming and schedules can be consulted on the networks of the organizing institutions and the schools involved.
Vichigasta Native Recipe Book: Cooking with Carob
As part of this edition, UNdeC, PALACE, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Municipality and the José Manuel Estrada School They present the “Vichigasta Native Recipe Book”, a compilation of traditional recipes with flour from carob to promote its use in everyday life.
The publication is part of the subproject DCS 20 “Promoting food sovereignty…” of the “Sustainable Recovery of Landscapes and Livelihoods of Argentina” program, managed by the Chilecito Bicentennial Foundation, with execution at the José Manuel Estrada school and community outreach in Vichigasta.
This Algarrobo Week strengthens the bond between science, culture and territory: a calendar that brings the mountain closer to the classrooms, promotes added value at source and promotes sustainable practices that protect the native forest and boost the local economy.
