The Muña is a shrubby herbaceous plant, branched from the base and leafy at the top. It has small leaves, its flowers are white and are gathered in short clusters. It reaches a height of 60 to 90 centimetres. It has excellent nutritional properties and other traditional uses in agriculture. It is consumed to relieve digestive problems, diarrhea, heartburn, halitosis and colic.

Territory
The communities of Taquiña and Tirani are located in the Tunari National Park. They cultivate this wild species, promoting sustainable ecosystem management to guarantee environmental functions and agrobiodiversity resources. The park reaches an altitude of 4 400 metres.

Producers
The farmers are 52 Quechua-speaking families from the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Cercado. They are organized as a PGS, to empower women and guarantee the quality of products and agroecological practices of productive systems, without the use of agrochemicals.

Process
The Muña is dehydrated manually, once the harvesting or controlled harvesting has been carried out. The dehydration is carried out in shaded areas and then the stems are removed, leaving only the leaves. The conservation is recommended in glass bottles and in dark environments.

Taste and use
The muña has diverse uses and forms of consumption. It is used to season food and in infusion. It is advisable to add a teaspoon of pineapple in a cup of boiling water, let it stand for five minutes, strain and serve. Another important use of this species is in the storage of potato crops, to prevent rotting and moth attack.

Further information

• Name of the Mountain Area: Cochabamba
• Labelled since: 05.05.2023
• Type of producer: Family farmer, Women association
• Size of company: > 50 people
• Distribution channel: Direct sale, Local market, Online, Other