PERU’S BIODIVERSITY AND ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
By Antonio Brack Egg*
Peru is a country with an extraordinary variety of wildlife and ecosystems, referred to today as biological diversity or biodiversity. Our nation is among the top five mega-diverse countries on this planet.
The diversity of genetic resources was achieved by native groups who, during a process that has taken at least 10,000 years, have domesticated species of fauna and native plants which they selected and adapted to ecological levels. As far as genetic resources are concerned, Peru is one of the largest centres in the world, with 182 species of plants and 5 species of domesticated animals. The country is acknowledged as one of the original farming and livestock breeding centres.
Peru is a country of great global importance, having provided extremely valuable crops and varieties, particularly of potatoes and corn, two of the four most important food crops in the world. This country’s genetic resources are of utmost strategic importance to the modern world. In this respect, Peru plays a decisive role and can continue to do so. It is estimated that there are 25,000 species of flora in this country (10% of the world’s total), 30% of which are endemic. Peru ranks fifth among the countries with the largest number of species and among the top in terms of the number of species of plants with well-known properties used by the population (4,400 species) The plants with the most numerous family are orchids, of which there are more than 3,000 species in this country. As far as fauna are concerned, there are 462 species of mammals, 1,815 species of birds, 395 species of reptiles, 408 amphibians, 2,000 species of fish and 4,000 species of butterflies.
Peru is the country with the largest variety of potatoes (9 domesticated species and about 3,000 varieties), chilli peppers (5 domesticated species and dozens of varieties), corn (36 ecotypes) and Andean grains, tubers and roots. It is the largest centre in South America as far as the genetic diversity of cotton is concerned, or Peruvian cotton (gossypium barbadense), an essential genetic input for improving cultivated cotton species such as pima and tanguis.
Peru also ranks high among countries that produce fruit (623 species), cucurbitaceous species (1,600) and food crops (some 1,200 species).
There are 5 kinds of domesticated animals in this country: the alpaca, a domesticated form of vicuna (lama vicugna) crossed with a llama; the llama, a domesticated form of guanaco (lama guanicoe), the guinea pig, a domesticated form of the «poronccoy» ((cavia tschudii); the Creole duck, a domesticated form of the Amazon duck (cairina moschata); and cochineal (dactilopius coccus).
The domestication of Peruvian plants and animals has been a lengthy process. Our country is one of the world’s original farming and livestock breeding centres. There are about 182 species of domesticated native plants, of which 174 originated in the Andes, Amazon and Coastal regions and 7 are of American origin, introduced centuries ago. There are 85 species of an Amazon origin, representing 46.96% of the total, 81 Andean species (44.75% of the total) and 8 coastal species (4.43% of the total).
IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS
Peru’s ecosystems are of strategic importance to the world and can become an important aspect of international negotiations. The country has 66 million hectares of forests and ranks second in Latin America and fourth worldwide as far as tropical forests are concerned. The Peruvian ocean is one of the most important fishing areas on the planet and in a good state of conservation compared to other salt water fishing zones. Natural Andean highland pastures (known
as «puna») which cover 18 million hectares, are of tremendous global importance because of their biodiversity.
Lakes Titicaca and Junin are outstanding for their ecological peculiarities and endemic species. Peru has established a National System of State-Protected Areas covering nearly 17 million hectares, which is one of the most important in the world. Peru has also put into effect a wide-ranging plan for the conservation and sustainable use of its 66 million hectares of forests, with the following characteristics:
• Protected under the Protected Areas System: 12 million hectares.
• Title deeds awarded to Amazon native communities: 8 million hectares
• Perennial Forests for forestry concessions: 24.5 million hectares.
• Protected by private entities: 157.000 hectares.
• The remaining 20 million or so hectares are State-owned.
HUMAN DIVERSITY AND TRADITIONAL KNOW-HOW
Peru has a great diversity of cultures, including 14 linguistic families and at least 44 different ethnic groups, 42 of which live in the Amazon region.
These native groups possess important knowledge about the use and properties of the species, the diversity of genetic resources (4,400 plants used for well-known purposes and thousands of varieties) and handling techniques. For example, on a single hectare of a traditional potato farm in the Titicaca Highland Plateau, it is possible to find up to three species and ten varieties of potatoes. This is more than all the species and varieties cultivated in North America.
STRATEGIC VALUE OF PERU’S BIODIVERSITY
In conventional terms, Peru’s strategic importance is not taken into consideration in the global geopolitical market. Unlike Arab countries, Peru does not have exceptional energy resources, nor does it dominate strategic world trade routes such as straits or canals, like Turkey, Egypt or Panama. The country’s technological development is of no global importance, it is not empowered with patents and related matters and it plays a limited role in the financial market. Under current circumstances, its only important role is as a key centre for illegal crops for forbidden drugs that sustain worldwide drug trafficking.
Consequently, large world powers neither consider Peru a threat to global security, nor a target country for guaranteeing global security and stability and, therefore, the object of special aid in the form of investments and financial aid. This is a delicate aspect as far as the country’s international role and its global geopolitical negotiations are concerned.
Nevertheless, Peru is one of the most prominent countries in terms of biological diversity, ranking among the top three mega-diverse countries, given that its tropical forests (the 4th largest in the world) hold some 15 billion tons of carbon; 10 million hectares are suitable for reforestation; it has the potential to recapture some 1.5 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere; it is the country with the largest genetic resources of domesticated plants (182 species) and plants with well-known uses (4,400 species), including 1,200 food crops and 1,408 medicinal plants, as mentioned above. Likewise, it has 5 species of domesticated animals and its ecosystems are of global importance (rainforests, dry forests, highlands cloud forests and a cold ocean).
With such biodiversity statistics, Peru acquires strategic importance at a global level, because the XXI century will be the century of biotechnology and genetic engineering. It would be worthwhile for the country to recover and develop this aspect in a strategic manner, in order to transform its biodiversity into a competitive advantage. The country could play a very important role in international negotiations on biodiversity and genetic resources, as well as in all matters concerning changing weather conditions and maintaining the balance of carbon in the atmosphere.
Consequently, the country must develop its negotiating capacity in all matters related to worldwide food security, health (medicinal plants) and global security with regards to changing weather conditions.
Utmost efforts must be made to ensure that the biodiversity becomes Peru’s strategic income in the XXI century, and that the country becomes a world power with respect to patents of genetic resources, maintaining the balance of global weather conditions and developing new active principles for the harmacological industry. The country’s potential for developing new economic activities based on biotechnology is extraordinarily great, particularly in
terms of pharmacological and cosmetic products, dyes and colouring agents and ornamental plants.
This country has a great potential for obtaining new chemical products of strategic importance for the pharmacological industry, based on the numerous medicinal plants growing in our country (1,400 species). A few of them already form part of the pharmacological industry, but the majority have not been fully studied as yet. The world pharmacological industry is a business that moves about US$ 400 billion a year and is currently going though serious difficulties in obtaining new drugs, particularly for controlling AIDS, various kinds of cancer and ailments of a psychic origin. Cosmetics and related products (aromas, perfumes, oils, etc.) are also of current interest. Cosmetic companies are creating a growing demand for certain natural products from tropical areas, labelling them «products from tropical forests». There are two kinds of private companies involved in the cosmetics industry: those that divert part of the benefits to local populations, allowing them to participate in the profits, and others which are strictly commercial. Although this activity has resulted in the incorporation of new international companies, our country has been rather unforthcoming in meeting the demand. It is worth stressing the importance of the potential for natural oils, new aromas, hair dyes and various anti-aging products.
As regards the development of natural dyes and colouring agents for the food, fibre and textile industries, the interest in certain species is everincreasing
(cochineal, annatto, purple corn, ‘airampu’ – a species of cactus used as a colouring agent). However, dozens of species well-known for their dyeing properties have still not been taken into consideration.
The development of ornamental plants (flowers, leaves and indoor plants) is a growing worldwide business. About 1,600 Peruvian species of ornamental plants are known and used, although advantage is only taken of a few species for profitable production purposes. Unfortunately, the country is more inclined towards ornamental plants from other countries. The potential of highly attractive species (araceous plants, ferns, orchids, bulbous plants, etc.) has still not been appreciated. The same occurs with the development of natural pesticides or biopesticides, based on the numerous plant and animal species in this country that are known to be effective for that purpose.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
Under no circumstances should Peru disregard its biological diversity during international negotiations, particularly genetic resources and the know-how related to them, including the rights of native people and local farmers.
Genetic resources and traditional know-how will play a very important role in an increasingly more globalized world. Developed countries in the northern hemisphere invest huge amounts of capital in gaining access to and dominating the use of genetic resources, based on the system of patents on living resources.
Nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that that this country possesses an enormous quantity of living resources, therefore it should have a fair and friendly relationship with developed countries, which should not gain access to Peruvian biodiversity without providing financial compensation in return, or cooperating with its conservation and development. Negotiations are mainly concentrated on trade and market access, therefore there is a risk that sufficient importance may not be given to genetic resources and traditional know-how. Under such circumstances, we could easily yield to the interests of developed countries.
In this respect, the Peruvian State should build up political consensus and establish a very clear position in its negotiations, in order to defend farmers’ rights and traditional knowhow related to genetic resources. Advantage should also be taken of the strategic importance of the ocean, the highlands, the Amazon forests and other resources.
These are key aspects of international negotiations and the country has the advantage of having ratified all relevant treaties and agreements. Likewise, it is important for the country to register genetic resources of a clearly Peruvian origin before other countries or companies do so.
The excuse is always the lack of funds to meet research requirements and to register our biodiversity. A possible solution could be to negotiate partnerships or mutual co-operation agreements with developed countries, in order to develop mutually beneficial scientific, technological and financial initiatives. We must not forget that the XXI century will be marked by environmental problems, the development of biotechnology and a growing domination of the patent and registration system by corporations. As a mega-diverse country, Peru must never overlook such aspects, because the slightest negligence could increase poverty and our dependence on foreign countries.
The country must not yield its position any further than the provisions established in the Biological Diversity Agreement and the CAN decisions on access to genetic resources. It should use its position to its advantage, obtaining scientific, technological and financial cooperation to preserve its forests and protected areas and for forestry management and reforestation purposes. We have made significant progress with the ratification of international treaties, but we still have a long way to go as far as business negotiations are concerned.
PERU’S BIODIVERSITY AND ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
ART AND IDENTITY OF PERUVIAN BAROQUE.
