[pikminguy]

Maybe I'm the problem but I didn't see anything in this article that communicated why the white Strawberry business should be saved. I mean I don't want the species to go extinct but I didn't get the sense that was a risk. Is it somehow better than the hybrid strawberry that came back from Europe?

[ethbr1]

Given the widespread planting of garden strawberry hybrids commercially, I'd expect they'd eventually push out the native cultivar without intentional planting.

As for dangers, looks like:

   - Lack of rail connectivity
   - Climate change reducing snow
   - Climate change drought

[pikminguy]

But that's back to a conservation issue which the article didn't raise at all. I agree that the species shouldn't go extinct but I don't know if I care how much it's being farmed.

As for the dangers you raised those are all real problems but none of them are specific to this plant.

[ethbr1]

Aren't there unique extinction concerns when a commercial hybrid is being aggressively farmed nearby a native species?

Not my field, but I'd assume the risk of cross-pollination and eventual accidental hybridization of the native species is high.

As you're essentially re-planting pure hybrids, but the native species is having to seed and grow generations normally.

[dheera]

Chile would be an ideal country to have a high speed rail link going down the whole country. You'd need effectively just 1 rail line to connect everything, the country is inherently 1-dimensional.

Weirdly enough, there aren't even roads connecting the southernmost part of Chile to the north without taking a detour through Argentina, though I guess nature might appreciate the largely untouched conservation zone that separates Patagonia from the north.

[Phrodo_00]

> Weirdly enough, there aren't even roads connecting the southernmost part of Chile to the north without taking a detour through Argentina,

Not that weird. The country pretty much becomes an archipelago + ice field south of Coyhaique.

[flobosg]

My comment from a few months ago (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40857263):

> In the 2000s the Chilean state railway company was involved in a huge corruption scandal as well as bad administrative practices. It’s been slowly recovering, but rail services in Chile still leave a lot to be desired.

[Phrodo_00]

There's this, and also, trucker unions put a lot of pressure against rail.

[bruckie]

1-dimensional? I think you forgot the Z dimension. Its mountains are world famous.

[ethbr1]

Parent means that for most of the populated part of Chile, the primary question is how far north/south (not also east/west).

[jerojero]

It's much bigger than the cross breed variety. And it's sweeter as well.

I think the market is simply one of unusual niche fruits, it's probably something the Chilean government itself needs to create.

Ultimately the main problem is that climate change is affecting the natural production of the fruit so if there's no commercial interest for it and the government doesn't care about the cultural importance of it; then it's bound to disappear and that would genuinely be a big loss (at least I'd consdier it a big loss) for cultural and biodiversity reasons.

But I think this problem is genuinely one that needs to be confronted by the Chilean government. It could become a luxury product if you target Asian markets for example.

[cryptonector]

The white strawberries I've had (dunno if they're Chilean though) are really awesome tasting. They should be saved for that reason, for one, but also because variety is a good thing. Perhaps we will get new varieties just because this one is available at all.

[jrflowers]

> Maybe I'm the problem but I didn't see anything in this article that communicated why the white Strawberry business should be saved.

This article is not an appeal to you as a reader to save the white strawberry business. It is an article on a website that makes money promoting travel and as such is not written so that the reader is in charge of the future of the fruit.