The Peruvian government has declared the knowhow associated with growing a variety of large-eared white maize to be 'cultural heritage'.

This designation — the first in the country for a crop production method — means the knowhow is considered part of the identity and culture of Peru and will be protected for future generations.

The knowledge, traditions and ancient technologies connected with the cultivation of the maize, known as Paraqay Sara in the Quechua language, were declared a cultural heritage of the nation by the National Institute of Culture earlier this month (4 January).

But experts disagree over whether the designation influences intellectual property rights on the crop.

The crop itself is already protected. In 2005, the Peruvian government granted a 'designation of origin' to the maize. This internationally-recognised legal tool certifies that a product has been produced in a specific region using specific methods.

The maize grows in a narrow 70-kilometre corridor in the Urubamba or 'Sacred' Valley in the mountains of southeast Peru and is produced by just 5,000 households.

Rodomiro Ortiz, a maize specialist and consultant for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), said the declaration is important from both a plant genetics and human perspective.

"It has been possible to preserve the unique germplasm that this crop possesses because of the work of the farmers who have improved it for centuries through ancient knowledge and technologies."

Alejandro Argumedo, director of the Peruvian nongovernmental organisation ANDES, told SciDev.Net that the designation will not have any legal effect on the intellectual property rights of this variety, as the knowledge is already covered by other international documents signed by the Peruvian state.

Argumedo said that although the decision is likely to protect the maize's indigenous name, a legal framework to benefit indigenous people — providing access to new markets for example — is also needed.

Ricardo Sevilla, a maize specialist and consultant for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), was sceptical about the move. Recognising traditional knowledge associated with crop production as cultural heritage is only valid if the knowledge is unique and original, he told to SciDev.Net. In his opinion neither condition applies to this variety.

This is not the first time a crop production method has been protected. In 1995, UNESCO declared the rice terraces of the Ifugao people in the Philippines a World Heritage Site.

Source: SciDev Net
Date: 27 January, 2010