Food for Everyone: Deities, Nature and Humans

Peru stands out as one of the countries with the greatest agrobiodiversity in the world. This richness, comprising a wide variety of native and wild foods, is not only attributed to the geographical diversity of its territory but also to the tireless efforts of generations of field workers. From pre-Hispanic times to the present, these families have transformed their small crop fields into living laboratories for the adaptation and preservation of essential foods and seeds, which are crucial for the country's food security and sovereignty.

However, amidst the climate crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic, data from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) reveals that Peru faces the highest rate of food insecurity in South America. More than half of the population is at risk of food insecurity, and anemia rates remain alarmingly high.

This crisis is particularly evident in the city where the project was carried out: Cusco. Located in the southern Andes of Peru, Cusco is one of the region's main urban centers, where tourism, mining, and agriculture serve as key economic pillars. To this day, agriculture remains the activity engaging the largest number of people, especially in the realm of family farming, which continues to face numerous challenges, many of which have been worsened by climate change.

Inspired by oral traditions and their role in preserving ancestral wisdom, Food for Everyone: Deities, Nature, and Humans takes food as a starting point to establish a sensory dialogue with individuals working on food security initiatives in Cusco. Food, as a connector among all beings, serves as a foundation to explore bonds of affection and reciprocity in the Andean world. This project includes a short film and a photographic series designed to foster a sensory dialogue about visions for the future and the bonds of care related to food sovereignty in the Peruvian Andes.

From various areas within the city of Cusco, we engage with experiences and initiatives in food sovereignty, such as water stewardship, seed preservation, knowledge of medicinal plants, rituals, preservation of traditional agricultural techniques, school vegetable gardens, and more. Through conversations, interviews, photographs, videos, collaborative writings, and other methods, the project aims to contribute to reflections on the future, emotional connections, and the role of food as a universal connector in the Andes. It invites us to collectively ask: How can we imagine the future during a time of crisis?

The project also underscores the importance of alternative storytelling in times of crisis, highlighting the value of individual and community organization in the pursuit of a hopeful future—one where diverse knowledge systems and perspectives converge.