Sacha Inchik comes from the region of San Martin in the Peruvian Amazon region. This area is only sparsely populated: about 14 inhabitants per km², which mainly live in the few cities. The cultivation areas of Sacha Inchik are therefore often only accessible on the rivers or in small aircraft. The native languages of the predominantly indigenous population are the Quechua dialects.
In the region of San Martín is the National Park Río Abiseo, declared by UNESCO in 1990 as World Cultural and World Natural Heritage. The national park has a rich flora and fauna, including several endangered species.
The population lives from the (few) tourism, mainly from agriculture. Oil palm, rice, yuca, cocoa, maize and coffee play an important role. Sacha Inchik had already been known for thousands of years. With the fall of the Inca culture, unfortunately, the knowledge of Sacha Inchik were lost for a long time. Only about 30 years ago the plant and its sensational characteristics were rediscovered within the framework of a research program.
The cultivation of Sacha Inchik helps to improve the the living conditions of the indigenous population (see Sacha Inchik Social Project). The rainforest is managed carefully and sustainably.
