PERUMIN Inspira partnered with the International Potato Center (CIP) as a strategic ally to promote entrepreneurial ideas with social impact aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger.

Miguel Ordinola, advisor to the CIP’s Research Division, shares insights on their experience with the program and highlights the importance of collaborative action to address the persistent issue of food insecurity in Peru.

What solutions does the CIP offer to contribute to SDG 2 – Zero Hunger?

For several years, the CIP has focused on agricultural interventions as a strategy to improve the nutritional status of rural populations.

Several interventions are in place to address this issue, which is caused by multidimensional factors. Here, however, we would like to zero in on how agricultural innovations can contribute to and complement actions directed at closing nutritional gaps.

What work is being done in relation to potato farming?

The CIP has been advancing potato biofortification (using agronomic techniques and conventional breeding). This strategy aims to improve the nutritional quality of staple crops by increasing their content of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins. This practice helps reduce anemia and malnutrition by giving people access to more nutritious staple foods.

In the specific case of potato production, CIP researchers have published two studies (June and October 2023) showing that biofortified yellow-flesh potato varieties can provide 50% of the daily iron requirements for people in vulnerable areas with high potato consumption (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.04.010). Additionally, biofortified potatoes were found to provide more absorbable zinc compared to conventional varieties (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.08.028).

What steps need to be taken to position biofortified potatoes?

Two biofortified potato varieties have already been registered. The next steps involve promoting their consumption, increasing seed production, ensuring efficient cultivation, and launching nutrition education initiatives.

Strengthening local institutional capacities and fostering public-private partnerships are crucial for achieving sustainable and widespread adoption. Platforms like PERUMIN Inspira play a vital role in disseminating these interventions to reduce nutritional disparities.

How did you support the PERUMIN Inspira 2024 program?

The CIP is proud to continue collaborating with PERUMIN Inspira. Founded in 1971, the CIP focuses on research for development, with a focus on potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Andean root and tuber crops (https://cipotato.org/es/).

The CIP has participated in PERUMIN Inspira every year since 2021. This year, it worked to highlight SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, awarding ideas related to agricultural products or services focused on biodiversity, food security, nutrition, and agri-food systems in vulnerable regions. This is important because it enables us to identify and strengthen enterprises based on innovation development in highly vulnerable areas.

Three SDG 2 initiatives reached the finals, with Nutrigenix emerging as the winner. Led by Anthony López (Áncash), Nutrigenix is developing functional snacks powered by AI to improve nutrition in the high jungle of Peru. The project uses marine superfoods and exotic fruits, supporting local farmers and fishers. The CIP will strengthen their skills through courses and training to advance their venture.

How can the initiatives identified by PERUMIN Inspira 2024 contribute to SDG 2?

Recent data show that anemia among children aged 6 to 35 months rose to 43.1% nationwide in 2023 (up from 42.4% in 2022). Additionally, FAO’s report entitled “The Situation of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” states that 51.7% of Peru’s population faces moderate or severe food insecurity, affecting approximately 17.6 million people, which places Peru above the regional average.

In this context, providing guidance to ventures focused on agriculture and other productive sectors can play a significant role in the fight against anemia and food insecurity.

What other contributions can these entrepreneurial ideas make?

Potential contributions include: i) promoting the development and production of iron-rich foods; ii) promoting biofortification and fortification of food products; iii) promoting crop diversity as a basis for increasing the presence of essential nutrients in people’s diet; iv) implementing nutrition education initiatives; v) promoting access to fresh, nutritious food through local markets and agricultural fairs, and vi) reducing food loss and waste.

What challenges do PERUMIN Inspira ventures face in achieving SDG 2 goals?

Entrepreneurial ventures need to integrate key elements, including: i) valuing agrobiodiversity and contributing to food and nutrition security; ii) generating added value (through the development of processed products); iii) identifying the contribution to nutrition and health as a differentiator; iv) being led by young entrepreneurs; v) transitioning from prototypes to scalable models; vi) generating local employment; vii) connecting with local innovation ecosystems to drive R&D processes in different regions; viii) contributing to climate change mitigation.

What is needed to address food insecurity in the country?

Food insecurity remains a pressing challenge, and its magnitude requires a serious, realistic, and inclusive approach involving all sectors of society, from governments and international organizations to local communities, civil society, and the private sector through public-private partnerships. For example, the southern mining corridor is a region where potatoes are a primary crop, yet nutritional gaps persist, so there we can promote large-scale (not one-off) interventions to disseminate biofortified varieties based on the research and development advances already made by the CIP.