Corruption, Climate, and Potatoes in Peru

Peru is known internationally as the original home of the potato. With over 4000 varieties in the nation alone, the crop that is now immensely popular worldwide is a point of pride for the people of Peru. It is also a large economic force, with potato production accounting for over 25% of Peru’s GDP. Potatoes have been cultivated by native peoples in the region for thousands of years, and the potato and its varieties hold immense cultural importance within the nation. The potato served as a means of worship, medicine, and food for the ancient Incans, and after its discovery by the Spanish, it fed millions around the globe. Even in modern Peru, it is seen as a tradition for a man’s mother to give the prospective daughter-in-law a potato as a gift before marriage. While potatoes have seen record-high outputs in recent years, those numbers are starting to decline. 

Climate changes have proven to be an issue for many farmers in the region, as most rely on natural rainfall instead of more modern irrigation systems. This leaves cultivators far more vulnerable to weather events like droughts, which have only become more common in the past few decades. From 2022-2023 alone, production dropped by 10%. This drop has left Peru as one of the least efficient countries for farming, ranking 87th in production per cultivated hectare, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As a result of worsening conditions, potato farmers have begun moving their fields up in altitude, with some moving as far as 300 meters higher. There is only so much room to grow them, though; eventually, diminishing arable land will serve as a dead end. Adding on to the issues with climate, young potato farmers in Peru’s rural areas are becoming increasingly hard to find. According to Peru’s most recent national farming census, the average age of a potato farmer is over 45, and one in five are over 65. Unless dramatic action is taken, thriving potatoes in Peru might see a fate much like the ones predicted for other crops in Latin America, such as coffee in Colombia. To climate-proof Peruvian agriculture, the nation needs at least 13.4 billion USD. Most financing is done through Western countries, or institutions like the International Monetary Fund. 

To many in Peru, however, it is not just about the material benefits of a thriving potato industry. Peru’s extensive potato varieties are seen by many Peruvians as a symbol of their heritage, and could also be a critical component in growing potatoes for the next century. Many strands of potatoes in the Andes are resistant to cold or pests and could prove indispensable in a world that will soon produce harsher climates. According to the Paris Climate Accords, Peru aims to preserve potato varieties that are most resistant to the climate crisis. If a solution to the crisis and its effects cannot be found, the next decades do not bode well for Peruvian farmers. In many regions now unsuitable for potatoes, cocaine is a highly efficient and profitable crop. Climate dynamics could force law-abiding farmers into a situation where they grow coca not out of a desire for larger profits, but out of survival. Those with financial power must strive to help rural Peruvians find alternatives. International assistance can only do so much, though, especially with bureaucracy and corruption impeding the benefits funds have on native populations. 

In Peru, corruption is rampant at both the national and departmental levels. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, corruption generated a loss of over 6 billion dollars in 2022 for Peru. That is no small number, and if one assumes the next two years had similar numbers, then Peru has lost more than 1.5 times the money needed to preserve its agricultural industries in just 3 years. This problem is not just isolated to Peru. Corruption ails most lower and middle-income countries globally and plays a very negative role in the financing Peru needs. If a nation or institution is not sure that its funds will have their intended effects, then most will look elsewhere. Most experts are split on where to start solving corruption in Peru. The country’s anti-corruption legal framework meets international standards, but there is a large lack of enforcement. Some experts say the issue lies in the constitutional setup of the national legislature. Because political parties can be recognized with only 5% of the seats in the legislature, many parties are started as special-interest fronts for influential industries, illegal mining operations, or even narcotics trafficking. From 2016-2021, more than half of the legislature’s members were investigated for financial crimes. According to the Anti-Corruption and Governance Center, public mistrust in the national legislature impedes the abilities of the executive and judicial branches to fight corruption. In the executive branch of Peru’s government, the country’s public procurement system prioritizes cost over quality, which leads to substandard contractors winning bids and producing poor outcomes. Overall, Peru’s pathway to saving its agriculture lies not in its fields, but in its courthouses and legislatures. If the nation can tackle its malignant corruption, which ranks them 121st out of 180 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index, then its potato industry may flourish once again.