The papa nativa (native potato) is an important food in the family diet because it is an important source of carbohydrates, starch, protein, vitamin B6 and potassium. Yellow-fleshed potatoes are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, and purple and red-fleshed potatoes are rich in anthocyanins. In addition to being used in human nutrition, it also has nutraceutical functions for the treatment of diseases such as anemia, rheumatism and hypertension.

Tradition
The domestication of the native potato is the contribution of the pre-Inca cultures that inhabited the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes more than 8 000 years ago. The diversity of the varieties conserved in the high Andean zones is a work of the conservationist families of the agrobiodiversity and the cultural tradition of the communities. The potato is the third most important food crop in the world, due to its great nutritional value and its multiple medicinal properties.

Territory
Six hundred varieties of native potato are grown in the districts of Cauri, Quisqui, Llata and Churubamba in the Department of Huanuco in mountainous areas above 3 200 metres above sea level, in territories where seed guardians are dedicated to the conservation of unique varieties that were inherited from their fathers and mothers. The native potato is cultivated in an agroecological manner certified by the Participatory Guarantee System.

Producers
The Quechua-speaking producers belong to the Association of Guardians of the Native Potato of Central Peru (AGUAPAN). This association ensures that its members obtain wellbeing while conserving this biodiversity with ancestral techniques, such as crop diversification, organic fertilizer production and crop rotation.

Further information

• Name of the Mountain Area: Huanchungia (Huachunya), District of Santa Eulalia, Huarochirí province, Lima
• Labelled since: 05.05.2023
• Type of producer: Family farmer, Community, Producers Organization
• Size of company: 11-20 people
• Distribution channel: Direct sale, Intermediary, Local market, Online, Other, Retailer