Promoting conservation among entrepreneurial and institutional leaders in Peru, green business platform L+1 granted its 2018 award to the Sustainable Machu Picchu initiative. The public-private alliance between Inkaterra, the Machu Picchu Town Hall, Alimenta and Peruvian beverage multinational AJE Group aims to turn the iconic destination into a global sustainability model.

The project has also been recipient of the prestigious travel award Die Goldene Palme in the “Responsible Tourism” category, as announced at ITB Berlin on February 2018. After the donation of a compacting machine to process 14 tons of plastic waste on a daily basis, the city’s first biodiesel plant opened at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Biodiesel and petrochemical-free glycerin are produced using waste oil collected from local restaurants, hotels and houses, avoiding its spillage to the Vilcanota River.

Commissioned by Inkaterra and financed by AJE Group, the upcoming step is a pyrolysis plant developed by Vasco Masías from Alimenta Group. This innovative technology decomposes organic waste (previously segregated by the Machu Picchu Town Hall) through high temperatures to produce Bio-char, a nutrient-rich soil amendment for local agriculture and forest restoration.

INKATERRA GUIDES FIELD STATION – A YEAR IN REVIEW

Two main events were hosted in 2018 at Inkaterra Guides Field Station. Last May, the practical workshop ‘Filming in Peru with Werner Herzog’ ventured 48 young filmmakers from 28 countries into the wild environs of the Amazon rainforest. They had to conceive, shoot and edit a short feature in only eleven days, under the assessment of Werner Herzog. “The best ten of them are better than the selections for best short film at the Academy Awards,” said the legendary director to Indiewire.

The third edition of Momento was celebrated in Madre de Dios from November 27-30. Conceived by renowned chef Virgilio Martinez (Central Restaurante) and co-organized by Inkaterra and Mater Iniciativa, the event was an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on traditional gastronomy, local cultures and the sustainable use of natural resources in the Amazon rainforest. Momento featured various experiences in the Amazon, including an expedition to Lake Sandoval and an Amazon fish barbecue by Inkaterra chef Rafael Casin, as well as talks by artists, chefs and scientists.

Additionally, training courses were organized by Loyola University (Chicago), Smithsonian Institution, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and Markham College (Lima), among other academic institutions. The newly opened Inkaterra Meeting Room complies the courses’ requirements, as an enhanced facility designed for outdoor training, work conferences and academic events.