Promoting Peru’s contributions to gastronomy in terms of biodiversity and natural resources

(Lima, August 15, 2012). Confirming its commitment to regional integration and the sustainable development of the countries in the region, CAF –Latin American development bank- today signed an agreement with the National Protected Natural Areas Service (SERNANP) to support the project Gastronomic Proposal for exploiting natural resources in Protected Natural Areas.

CAF’s director and representative in Peru, Eleonora Silva Pardo, and the head of SERNANP, Pedro Gamboa Moquillaza, signed this agreement and were both of the opinion that the project would promote Peru’s contributions to gastronomy in terms of biodiversity and natural resources, both at home and abroad.

The project will further the identification of native products, support the forming of associations by forest producers and the implementation of strategic alliances with the population in protected natural areas to create market conditions and generate income from the sustainable exploitation of the resources, and, at the same time, favor the undertaking of local commitments in order to guarantee the conservation of the ecosystems that support said production.

After recalling that the agreement was being signed in the context of the regional actions being taken by CAF, Silva Pardo highlighted that this project will benefit local producers and dwellers in the buffer zones of Peru’s Protected Natural Areas by means of good practices of certification of their production in green areas, fair trade, and generation of local saving as mechanisms for fighting poverty.

“The signing of this agreement seeks to improve the quality of life for the local population, the sustainable exploitation of forest resources, and make the general public at home and abroad aware of the value Peruvian native products,” emphasized CAF’s director.

Gamboa Moquillaza, for his part, highlighted that this project promotes social inclusion in protected natural areas by providing access to the market for products and inputs from management plans that will come into their own via the implementation of the Promotion Strategy for the Sustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources to be developed by SERNANP as part of this project.

“This is a novel, didactic project aimed at making known the importance of protected natural areas in the production of emblematic inputs for our gastronomy. The initiative seeks to get Peruvians to discover and value the close link between protected natural areas and our country’s culinary diversity. To that end, four pilot protected areas in the three large natural regions that represent the best of Peru’s diversity have been selected: The National Tambopata Reserve in Madre de Dios; Los Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary; the National Pacaya-Smairia Reserve in Loreto; and Huascarán National Park in Áncash,” he explained.

The projected is based on a strategic alliance in which CAF and SERNANP participate as the body in charge of executing the project alongside the dwellers of the Protected Natural Areas and the renowned chef Astrid Gusche, a leader in the world of gastronomy and promoter of the Peru brand.

This agreement also contemplates the edition of a special publication to promote native products, the preparation of a documentary, and Astrid’s support in making the project known at home and abroad through a variety of activities, among them Mistura Fair 2012 and events to be held shortly in New York and London where this vision of sustainable development will be launched and made known.