Within this framework, Minam highlights the importance of conservation through eco- and bio-businesses.
These initiatives presented foods made from this grain, such as snacks, purple corn cookies, and the traditional chicha morada sweetened with honey, emphasizing its nutritional, cultural, and productive value.
Peru is consolidating its position as one of the world's leading centers of corn diversification, with 52 native landraces and thousands of varieties adapted to diverse ecosystems, from the coast to the Andes and the Amazon.
This richness is the result of ancestral knowledge and the agricultural practices of communities, which have enabled the conservation and use of this crop in balance with its environment.
Most valued in gastronomy
Among the most representative landraces are Cusco giant corn, purple corn (kculli), and chullpi corn, widely valued in Peruvian cuisine and with a growing presence in international markets.
For its conservation, the country has a strategic instrument: the Baseline of the Genetic Diversity of Peruvian Corn for biosafety purposes, prepared by Minam.
This tool validates this diversity and establishes guidelines for its sustainable use and protection against risks such as the loss of varieties.
Corn's genetic diversity also plays a key role in adaptation to climate change, as its different landraces have characteristics that enable them to withstand adverse conditions such as droughts, frosts, or poor-quality soils.
In that context, Minam reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting the valorization of agrobiodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources, in coordination with various stakeholders, contributing to Peruvian sustainable development.