Food for families

Potatoes in Peru

In 2003, temperatures dropped to 35 degrees centigrade below freezing.

50 children died and 13,000 people suffered from severe cold, bronchitis and pneumonia

Life in the Peruvian AndesThe Andes are very high mountains in Peru.

The people who live there are some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Peru

The landscape is bare as very few plants are able to grow.

The people depend on their animals and a crop of potatoes to give them food and provide some money to live on.

Potatoes were first grown in Central and Southern America

They now grow all over the world and are an important food crop.

In Peru, over 250 different types of potatoes grow in the high Andes.

They are one of the few crops that can grow in the extreme cold.

Traditional foods from Peru

The traditional varieties of potato are able to grow in the harsh conditions.

Traditional varieties taste good and are not available in the supermarkets. People will pay the farmers a good price for them.

The potatoes provide families with food and a source of income.

Over 600 families are growing potatoes. They get help from farmers who have been trained by Practical Action.

They learn how to grow the plants and to save seed for the next growing season.

These families have food security because they grow traditional varieties that are adapted to the climate.

Practical Action in Peru

Potatoes into chips

A new brand called “Jalca Chips” was launched

‘Jalca’ is the name for the agro-ecological zone where these coloured native potatoes are grown in the Andes The chips were marketed to

consumers as ‘natural & healthy’

To increase the potatoes market value, the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru helped farmers to increase their income by turning the potatoes into chips (what you may know as ‘crisps’)

Advantages of traditional potato chips

Consumers like exotic, tasty and natural products

They absorb much less oil during frying

They have higher nutritional value. Yellow varieties contain high levels of Vitamin C. Purple varieties contain high levels of antioxidants

They have interesting shapes and colours

By using unpeeled potatoes consumers are eating all the minerals, vitamins and fibre present in the potato skin

Potato chips into income

‘Jalca Chips’ provide an opportunity for increased income for small-scale farmers as they receive a good percentage of each packet which is sold.

Finding different ways or processing and marketing the traditional potato encourages diversity and provides food security and a good income

People living in Lima want to eat ‘Jalca Chips’ as they taste good, they are healthy and they support small-scale farmers as well as help to protect the biodiversity of a wide variety of traditional, native potatoes