Peru enjoys a world recognition for its gastronomy. In fact, it has a couple of restaurants that are located between the best in the worldand there is no doubt that, when visiting any city in the country, we can confirm that the food is good here. The peruvian cuisine is a source of pride, in addition to being a source of economic and tourist dynamism for hundreds of thousands of families.
However, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)as of July 2025, between the years 2022 and 2024, the 41% of the Peruvian population experiment food insecurityunderstood as the lack of access to food or the consumption of less nutritious products due to lack of resources. Some may wonder: how can a country celebrated for its gastronomy address this problem? They are different realities; It’s a different story.
He gastronomic success has been the result of policies that promoted investment, entrepreneurship and the development of the service sector, added to the increased income in various segments of the population. Thirty or forty years ago the gastronomic offer that we have today did not exist. For example, a button: official figures from the Ministry of Production show that by 2024 there were 161,859 formal restaurants, bars and canteenswhile in 2015 there were 97,658. It is worth mentioning that, before the pandemic, in 2019, there were 194,127.
The food insecurityOn the other hand, it reflects the absence of policies —or their failures— to guarantee access to nutritious food among the most vulnerable people. Behind her is the povertywhich affects 27.6% of the population. In 2025 it would reduce slightly, but would still remain above the pre-pandemic level (20.2%). Scenarios of poverty or high prices They limit access to foods with high levels of nutrients.
This translates into high levels of childhood anemia. In Peru, childhood anemia affects 44% of children between 6 and 35 months of age, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI). The situation is even more critical in the interior of the country: in departments such as Puno, Loreto and Apurimacthe rate of childhood anemia reaches 76%, 62% and 58.7%, respectively. According to the Medical College of Peru, Food insecurity is one of the determinants of anemia. The situation worsens, since it has a negative impact on the productivity of human capital due to the long-term cognitive loss of those affected.
Since Peru is the worst positioned among the South American countries evaluated by the FAO, why not massify the private company participation in addressing this problem? Currently, there is an important group of companies and economic conglomerates that apply sustainable management in their operations. In their areas of influence they could implement programs to support common pots or design strategies for supplying food with high nutritional content in cribs and children’s centers.
Congratulations to those who leave Peruvian gastronomy high. Let’s look for and execute the best alternative solutions for a problem that would work against us in the long term. The success of the peruvian cuisine should not be contrasted with the food insecurity. Let’s not mix potatoes with sweet potatoes.
