Hanging by a thread: Peruvian alpaca breeders’ way of life under threat

Alina Surquislla Gomez is a third-generation alpaquera. She says: ‘When I was little, my grandfather used to tell me how beautiful it was to graze in these valleys. Due to climate change, the situation has changed’ Photograph: Alessandro Cinque/Panos Pictures

Since the alpaca was first domesticated in South America about 6,000 years ago, the animal has been at the heart of the region’s economic life. But as the climate crisis associated with La Niña accelerates environmental changes in the high Andes of Peru, alpaca breeders face an uncertain future.

A member of the camel family, the symbolic alpaca performs multiple roles, from carrying loads to providing milk and meat, in a region of Peru where rocky soil and an arid climate restrict agriculture to a few crops.