Food Sustainability in Peru: Preserving Biodiversity for a Resilient Future
By Kathleen Pokrud
Peru, a country rich in natural biodiversity and home to over 3,000 varieties of potatoes and thousands of native crops, plays a crucial role in global food sustainability. Along the coast, in the Andes and the Amazon, its unique ecosystems offer both opportunities and challenges in the quest for a sustainable and secure food system. HE Ambassador Cecilia Galarreta shared the lessons learned by Peru which has led to a food revolution that is nourishing people and the planet.
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Ambassador Cecilia began, “The Peruvian Government considers food and nutritional security a national priority, taking into account global challenges. In 2022, State Policy No. 15 on Food Security and Nutrition was implemented, reinforcing the commitment to ensure the availability and access to high-quality food for a healthy life and comprehensive development.
“Within this framework, there is a national policy in place: the National Food and Nutrition Security Strategy, which establishes five key objectives: 1) to guarantee the availability of sufficient quantities of safe and nutritious food; 2) to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for the entire population; 3) to ensure adequate consumption of safe and nutritious food; 4) to guarantee adaptation measures to battle climate change and prevent contingencies that could generate food insecurity crises; and 5) to implement an institutional and programmatic framework for food and nutritional security at the three levels of government.”
She went on, “The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) leads inter-institutional coordination, ensuring a comprehensive response from food production to the promotion of healthy consumption. Various ministries and subnational governments contribute within their responsibilities to address food and nutritional insecurity nationwide.”
Ambassador Cecilia admitted challenges in terms of eco-friendly food practices. “One of the main challenges are the effects of climate change in the country such as droughts, floods and landslides. To tackle this problem, we have implement sustainable practices to generate resilience and adaptation of our food systems.
“In Peru, efforts are being made to achieve sustainability in food production. One example is the recognition of agrobiodiversity zones, an in-situ conservation strategy promoted by MIDAGRI through the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) that aims at improving the living conditions of indigenous peoples by strengthening conservation and management of native agrobiodiversity.
“Another example is water harvesting, an ancient technique that collects rainwater for storage and later recovery, preserving water resources to adapt to climate change.
Due to the importance of this ancestral practice, Law 30989 was enacted in July 2019, declaring the public necessity of implementation of water sowing and harvesting, taking into consideration the integrated management of water resources and good practices.”
Despite these obstacles, Ambassador Cecilia shared her confidence in the policies that the Peruvian government is implementing, stating, “The main policies and regulations to promote food sustainability in Peru include the National Food and Nutrition Security Strategy that aims to meet the nutritional needs of the Peruvian population at all times. Currently, it is being updated through a participatory process designed to address food insecurity in an integrated and sustainable manner. Secondly, the Food and Nutrition Security Law has established a legal framework for the development of public policies on food and nutrition security. Thirdly, the Food Safety Law has established a legal framework for safety of food intended for human consumption. Then, there are other laws that aim to establish standards for family farming, promoting the reduction and prevention of food loss and waste and lastly, actions for food recovery from agricultural, fishery and aquaculture sources.
“In terms of grassroot or private sector involvement, Ambassador Cecilia explained, “In 2012, the Multisectoral Commission on Food and Nutrition Security (COMSAN) was created, attached to MIDAGRI, to coordinate efforts of public and private institutions, both national and international, and civil society organisations and individuals to achieve National Food and Nutrition Security.
“Currently, COMSAN has fourteen members representing the public sector: MIDAGRI, which chairs the commission; the ministries of the Environment and Social Inclusion, Education, Women and Vulnerable Populations, Production, Foreign Affairs and Health. At the subnational level there are the National Assembly of Regional Governments and the Network of Rural Municipalities of Peru (REMURPE), and representing civil society are the National Board of Users of the Irrigation Districts of Peru, the National Convention of Peruvian Agriculture (CONVEAGRO) and the National Association of Artisanal Fishing Companies of Peru (ANEPAP).
Likewise, other entities, such as cooperation agencies, like the World Food Program and FAO and the Perusan Collective, an initiative for Food and Nutrition Security. Currently, COMSAN is developing the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy.”
Ambassador Cecilia then shared, “There are future initiatives being considered and researched. According to COMSAN’s Work Plan, guidelines for implementing food recovery in wholesale and supply markets are planned for 2025. Likewise, guidelines are planned to promote specific actions for reducing and preventing food loss and waste.
“With FAO’s support, the Good Practices Award for Food Waste Prevention and Reduction is promoted annually to raise public awareness about a sustainable food system and food security. FAO, in coordination with the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), is designing a methodology for measuring the ‘Food Loss Index’ to help reduce food losses in production and supply chains for UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 on Responsible Production and Consumption.
“Additionally, MIDAGRI is working on designing and implementing an Observatory that will provide valuable information on the state of Food and Nutrition Security.”
To conclude, Ambassador Cecilia elaborated, “In 2024, Peru assumed the APEC presidency, with MIDAGRI leading the ‘Partnership in Food and Nutrition Security Policies (PPFS)’ to promote public-private partnerships and investments for food system resilience. As PPFS president, MIDAGRI organised meetings and workshops, including the Ministerial Meeting on Food Security (FSMM) on August 18 in Trujillo, Peru. Chaired by the Peruvian Minister of Agriculture, the meeting hosted 18 delegations for a ministerial dialogue on food loss prevention and food security, concluding with the approval of the Trujillo Principles for the Prevention and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste and the Trujillo Declaration on Food Security.
“Additionally, MIDAGRI participates in APEC’s Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG) and contributes to the Plan for Food Security and Nutrition and the Eradication of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).”
Photo courtesy of The Embassy of Peru.
