South American Soil

Soil

2,410= avg caloric intake

The percentage of the population that is underweight is 4.1%, and 9.8% of the population is overweight.[7] The physical effects of stunting are permanent, as children are unlikely to regain the loss in height and corresponding weight

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/peru/machu-picchu/food-drink/

Ceviche

The icy Humboldt Current that flows through the Pacific Ocean just off Peru’s coast supports one of the world’s most bountiful sources of seafood. If Peru had an official national dish, it would probably be this preparation of raw fish marinated in citrus juice. The acid in the fruit “cooks” the fish, giving it a delicate flavor and slightly chewy consistency. The dish is usually spiced with red onion and aji pepper, and served (typically at lunch) with sweet potato or choclo, a white Andean corn with dime-size kernels. Bold gastronomes can drink the leftover citrus marinade, which is known as leche de tigre, tiger’s milk.

Cuy

There’s no way to sugarcoat it. This staple meat raised in many households of the Andes goes by a different name in the United States: guinea pig. (One indication of how important the dish is to the rural Peruvian diet: In a cathedral in Cusco hangs a replica of Da Vinci’s Last Supper, in which Christ and the 12 disciples are seated around a platter of cuy.) The meat, which is quite bony, is usually baked or barbecued on a spit and served whole—often with the head on. It has a pleasant, gamy taste like that of rabbit or wild fowl.

Causa

A visitor to any market in Peru is certain to find two things—hundreds of varieties of potatoes, which may have originated here (Peru’s longtime rival Chile also claims tuber originality), and piles of avocados large enough to toboggan down. A traditional causa layers these two ingredients into a sort of casserole, which is sliced and served cold. Other layers might contain tuna, meat, or hard-boiled egg.

Lomo Saltado

A hundred years before anyone had heard of Asian fusion cuisine, boatloads of Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru looking for work. The ingredients and techniques they added to Peru’s food vocabulary are probably best exemplified by this hearty hybrid stir-fry, in which beef, tomatoes, peppers, and onions are blended in a pan with soy sauce and fried potatoes. Not a dish for the carb-phobic; it’s usually served over white rice.

http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/peru-country-south-america-economy.html

The main exports are copper, gold, zinc, petroleum, coffee, potatoes, asparagus, textiles, and guinea pigs. The main imports are petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, and paper. Peru's chief trade partners are the United States, China, Chile, and Brazil.

http://www.salon.com/2008/02/29/guano_imperialism/

Practices are terracing

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/peru/arable-land-percent-of-land-area-wb-data.html

1900 2000

Agricultural land (sq. km) in Peru 218360.0 211850.0

Agricultural land (% of land area) in Peru 17.1 16.6

Arable land (hectares) in Peru 3500000.0 3700000.0

Arable land (hectares per person) in Peru 0.2 0.1

Arable land (% of land area) in Peru 2.7 2.9

Because of its pronounced topography, much of Peru is sensitive to the erosive action of wind and water. The Coast is subject to wind erosion, and water erosion is dominant in the Sierra. Erosion also occurs in the High Selva when vegetation is cleared and in the Low Selva where high-intensity rains fall on land farmed under slash-and-burn practices. A review of erosion problems in Peru and results from erosion studies in the Sierra and Selva regions shows that the use of cover crops and mulching conserve soil and water efficiently. Contoured rows present both advantages and disadvantages for water erosion control, depending on climatic conditions and slope.

http://www.jswconline.org/content/45/3/417.abstract