MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile and Peru squabble over potatoes' heritage

The historic rivalry between Chile and Peru has in the past seen them arguing over territory and maritime borders; rights to the alcoholic beverage Pisco and to a musical instrument the charango (similar to a small guitar), culinary tradition and now potatoes.

It all started when a Chilean expert announced plans to register over 280 potato varieties from the southern island of Chiloe as national heritage. Angry Peruvians replied saying their country is the birthplace of the potato.

The controversial idea comes from Professor Andres Contreras, from the Agricultural Sciences Faculty at Chile's Austral University who says he only wants to register what belongs to Chileans.

"These potato varieties have grown and developed in this country, and we would like to protect them" he says. "We don't want unscrupulous people claiming rights to them and asking for money".

"We are not saying that potato is from Chile. We are only trying to shield local varieties" he insists.

"The potato is a Peruvian product and there are scientific studies that confirm it" Peru's Foreign Trade Minister Alfredo Ferrero stressed Thursday. "It has been widely accepted that potato originated in southern Peru and therefore belongs to our nation's cultural heritage", added Foreign Minister Oscar Maurtua.

He recalled that a recent study sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture supported the Peruvian claim. The research found that all modern varieties of potatoes can be traced back genetically to a single source - a spud grown in Peru over 7,000 years ago.

Last year, Peru's Congress passed a bill aimed at protecting the potato and the Andean country now plans to patent it internationally as a Peruvian product. Peru is threatening to take the case to the United Nations.

However William Roca, director of genetic studies at the FAO International Potato Center in Peru, argued that Chile was within its rights to lay claim to more recent potato varieties that have evolved in Chilean soil.

"Chile can declare potatoes originally from Chilean soil as cultural patrimony. That's fine," he said. "It's something that other countries should do".