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UNESCO Peru announced the successful completion of the second phase of the project “International Atlas of Food and Digital Platform to safeguard, promote and transmit food practices to future generations”, a global initiative aimed at strengthening the protection of intangible cultural heritage related to food.
The project, generously funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under UNESCO’s Culture and Digital Technologies Programme, seeks to generate innovative knowledge and develop interactive digital tools that contribute to the safeguarding and transmission of food traditions as living heritage.
In this second phase, the project focused on two important food practices, selected following a research process:
1. Ceviche in the fishing coves of El Ñuro and Cabo Blanco (Piura)
The artisanal fishing communities in these localities preserve knowledge deeply linked to the sustainable management of marine ecosystems. Through ancestral techniques, they practice selective fishing that not only ensures the conservation of resources but also guarantees the quality and freshness of the ingredients used in the preparation of ceviche.
It is worth noting that the practices and meanings associated with the preparation and consumption of ceviche—an expression of traditional Peruvian cuisine—were inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023.
The knowledge and practices surrounding corn in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Cusco)
In the province of Urubamba, corn remains a central element in the cultural and spiritual life of the communities. Heirs to ancestral knowledge developed since pre-Hispanic times, farming families continue to uphold traditional techniques adapted to their territory.
This body of knowledge was recognized as a National Cultural Heritage in 2009, highlighting its importance for cultural identity and food security.
The project activities also included participatory workshops in both territories, designed as spaces for dialogue between communities, experts, and institutions. These meetings made it possible to:
- Collectively reflect on the importance of safeguarding traditional knowledge.
- Identify threats affecting its continuity, such as climate change and new economic activities.
- Propose measures to strengthen its transmission to future generations, including enhancing the promotion of these practices and raising awareness within communities about their intergenerational transmission.
As part of the initiative, documentaries were also produced to highlight exemplary safeguarding practices and recognize the role of their bearers:
- In Cusco, the work of the Misterios del Maíz Museum, led by Amadeo López, is highlighted. It is dedicated to preserving the diversity of maize varieties in the Sacred Valley, as well as the ecological farming practices developed in Huayllabamba.
- In Piura, the project showcases the selective artisanal fishing practices of El Ñuro and Cabo Blanco as a sustainable practice that is directly linked to the quality, identity, and continuity of ceviche as living heritage.
Contributions to public policy
The project also included the development of a diagnosis of policies and programs related to food practices as intangible cultural heritage. This analysis identified progress, challenges, and opportunities in the work of various public institutions, including the Ministries of Production, Agricultural Development, Environment, Culture, Health, and Foreign Trade and Tourism.
Based on this work, recommendations were formulated aimed at strengthening comprehensive policies that recognize the role of food practices in shaping identity, community well-being, and sustainable development. These recommendations will be shared at a global workshop bringing together the countries that participated in the project’s pilot phase, where the exchange will focus on safeguarding food traditions and the challenges of integrating them into sustainable development policies and programs.
The project’s results will be integrated into an international digital platform bringing together experiences from 16 countries, creating an innovative space to share knowledge, showcase good practices, and promote global cooperation in safeguarding food heritage.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-peru-successfully-concludes-second-phase-international-project-safeguard-food-practices?hub=701
