“The Noah’s Ark of modern times” is how the experts on nature have agreed to call this singular territory which lodges one of the most spectacular gatherings of plants and animals of our planet.

Peru has been considered as part of the select group of 12 mega-diverse countries of the world, due to its great ecological diversity.

A researcher said once: ”if we were in the precarious situation to choose a unique country to protect from a nuclear blast that country would have to be Peru because with it we could soon recover most of the living creatures of the world”.

Statistics do not differ much from this romantic appreciation:

• Peru has 84 of the 104 identified life zones in the world and therefore is the most ecologically diverse country of the world.



• Peru encloses more than 40,000 plant species; it is like a botanical garden in the world, being the third richest country in plants in the world.



• Peru is the first country in diversity of fish species.



• Peru holds 1,715 bird species, being the second richest country in these species, surpassing far for example the European continent or duplicating North America.



• The list could continue with the diversity of mammal species among others up to the insect world whose abundance and variety in Peru forced the entomologists from the Smithsonian Institute to triplicate the total number of estimated species on earth to 30 millions!

This, in other words, means that our territory lodges approximately 2 out of 10 plant and animal species from around the globe.

The great wealth is due to multiple factors emphasizing the presence of our Coast, Andean Region and Amazon, lodging each one a very special world.

From over 40,000 plant species that grow in our country already 4,000 species have been catalogued as useful plants and contribute their benefits to men in medicine, cosmetic industry, dyes, construction, feeding and even textiles.

From these useful plants more than 1,000 have a well-known medicinal use. The traditional medicine knowledge in Peru is one of the best conserved in the world.

Peru has already offered great contributions of plants worldwide. Great contributions like the potato, corn, tomato, frijol, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), Cat’s Claw among many others are attributed to Peru. Peru has more than 3,000 native species that are simply waiting for our attention.

Considering what was just mentioned above and that the market for medicinal plants is in steady development and expansion at a worldwide level we can identify the immense potential that Peru has as new supplier of medicinal plants for the world.

According to the World Health Organization 7 of every 10 habitants on the planet (about 3,000 million people) use medicinal plants to solve their main health necessities and it could be said that great part of the traditional therapies involves the use of plant extracts or their main active principles to heal most of the well-known illnesses.

On the other hand, 1 of 4 four medicines (25%) found in any pharmacy in cities has its origin in tropical plants. Ranging from the well-known aspirin to the revolutionary Cat’s Claw going through cicatrisation agents, astringents, antioxidants and contraceptives.

Considering the great wealth that lodges our country we can realize the immense potential we have for development.

In Peruvian Heritage we have assumed the great challenge to develop our natural products and contribute in this way to the development of our country, generating products that manage to improve the quality of life of each one of our clients.