About 56% (approximately 72 million hectares) of Peru’s land area is covered by forests, and the Peruvian side of the Amazon Basin is the second largest area of tropical forest after Brazil, and the fourth largest in the world. Although Peru’s deforestation rate has been said to be relatively low, the threat of deforestation is rapidly increasing as a result of recent economic growth. Land conversion to agricultural land and livestock grazing land, non-traditional slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, expansion of urban areas, and poor forest management capacity have caused deforestation of approximately 1.65 million hectares from 2001 to 2014, averaging about 120,000 hectares per year. The target area, San Martín Province, is located in the forest area of the Amazon region, and is an area with significant deforestation.

The Amazon region, where the province of San Martín is located, and the mountainous region, where the province of Cusco is located, have limited employment opportunities and a high percentage of poor people. Basic infrastructure such as electricity, water and sewage systems is not sufficiently developed, and the region has not benefited from recent economic development. Many residents make a living by illegally logging in virgin forests. Gold dust is extracted and refined, and mercury is used for this purpose, leading to health hazards and contamination of soil and rivers. Social anxiety, such as an increase in crime, is also occurring. There are expectations for business development that will secure legal means of livelihood and increase the added value of local products. It is expected to develop a business that will solve local poverty and conserve the surrounding forests, thereby creating a social system.

One of the forest resources of the Amazon rainforest is the Sacha Inchi, which is native to the Amazon. The oil squeezed from its seeds has been found to be high in omega-3 fatty acids and high in antioxidants, and has attracted attention as a health food in recent years. Exports of Sacha Inchi oil are also increasing. Agroforestry cultivation is being encouraged locally, and it is expected that plantations and mixed planting with crops such as Sacha Inchi will secure forest resources, cultivate secondary forests, and limit the expansion of pastureland conversion. Additionally, the lees from which the oil is extracted can be used as a protein-rich food ingredient, but its use has not been well recognized or utilized.

Utilizing Japanese knowledge will develop a food ingredient that is easier to use and has higher added value for Sacha Inchi oil lees, which has rarely been used as a food product in the past. This is expected to expand the use of pressed lees, promote the utilization of Sacha Inchi, and increase profits.

• If the added value of Sacha Inchi increases and it becomes easier to use as food, demand will expand and there will be an incentive to start new Sacha Inchi production. Improved income for residents through agroforestry is expected to stabilize their livelihoods and reduce illegal logging and mercury mining.
• By selling Sacha Inchi ingredients and food products developed using Japanese knowledge in places such as Cusco, where tourists gather, there is a possibility that the overall distribution of Sacha Inchi will be promoted. This will lead to improved livelihoods for residents of both the production areas with high poverty rates and the areas where the food is sold. Introducing it as a properly managed agroforestry crop will lead to the sales of Sacha Inchi, the creation of secondary forests, and the conservation of natural forest resources.