Andean maca offers golden opportunities to producers in Peru30.04.2020Scroll down to read the Spanish version The golden powder of the maca plant brings health, happiness and security to the peoples of central Peru in the Andes, both past and present. Maca producers in Peru follow the traditions of the Incas – a civilization of 15th and 16th century South America - in cultivating this high Andes plant that is cherished for its root. The Andean maca is native to the Bombón plateau in Peru and is also cultivated in the inter-Andean valleys such as those of Mantaro and Tarma. It is an annual herbaceous plant that resembles a radish and has an edible root. The maca is a natural restorative and revitalizing food supplement considered especially beneficial to athletes, children and pregnant women. It is suggested to add one or two tablespoons of maca to a litre of milk, yogurt or juices, and use it in mazamorras and in the preparation of breads and cakes. The Incas were aware of the benefits and properties of this ancient plant, which they considered to be a gift from the gods. In addition to growing maca as a miracle food, they also used it in religious ceremonies. In modern times, local producers decided to harness the promising potential of the maca. In the Mantaro Valley of Peru, 200 kilometres east of Lima, the organization GranoVita Andina brings together small-scale family mountain producers. GranoVita Andina is part of Red de Agroindustria Rural (REDAR) Peru, an association that supports rural people who value Andean biodiversity, providing technical and commercial support to add value to their products and self-generate jobs. The farming community - all dedicated to growing native crops - created GranoVita Andina, whose name combines the importance of all grains and seeds, giving these crops life, and pays tribute to the Andes Mountains where they farm. Twelve women and five men producers make up the Ayllu Kushisha association. These older adults, aged 45 to 75, prize biodiversity in their small plots. They grow a variety of crops such as vegetables, tubers, cereals and beans. They diversify their livelihoods by also raising guinea pigs. They maintain the practices of their ancestors, using native herbs – like rocoto, a Peruvian chili pepper – to combat pests, and using guinea pig and cow dung to fertilize their crops. Their goal is to make agroecologically produced goods available at the market, while cherishing their traditions, culture and family. The area in which the Ayllu Kushisha producers farm is critically important for many people in Peru, including in the urban centres: this land provides food for the highly populated provinces of Lima and Huancayo. The Mantaro River flows through the fertile valley, making it lush and prosperous for cultivation. The Ayllu Kushisha producers consider the maca to be a fruit of nature that has long been part of their lives and their ancestors’ lives. The Andean maca is cultivated and processed in wild and cold places in the puna above 4 000 metres. The producers wash the maca and dry it in the sun for two months before baking it in clay ovens and grinding it into a fine powder. All work is done by hand. Each container of maca contains 95 percent yellow maca and five percent red maca, which is more precious and rich in anthocyanins. In 2017, their miracle maca powder was granted the Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) narrative label. The combination of a narrative label with the producers’ loving and careful processing of the maca allowed them to sell at a higher price and improve their families’ livelihoods. The producers say that the MPP label has added value to their product and they have seen more acceptance of their product in the local market. To further elevate the value of the maca and the other products, the producers are working together to establish a Participatory Guarantee System to soon be certified organic for the national market. View the Maca Andina product on the MPP Database News and photo from GranoVita Andina Maca Andina ofrece oportunidades de oro a los productores en Perú El tambien llamado “polvo dorado” de la planta de maca brinda salud, felicidad y seguridad a los pueblos del centro del Perú en los Andes, tanto en el pasado como en el presente. Los productores de maca en el Perú siguen las tradiciones de los incas - el mayor imperio en América de los siglos XV y XVI - en el cultivo de esta planta ubicada en las alturas de los Andes, la cual es apreciada por su raíz. Ver el producto Maca Andina en la base de datos MPP Noticias y fotos de GranoVita Andina |
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