Friday 4 July 2014

Quinoa - 5000 year old superfood

The FAO (Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation) dedicated 2013 to quinoa, proving its growing importance to the world.

Quinoa Identity Card

Quinoa is not a cereal, it is a species of goosefoot named Chenopodium, which is close to spinach and beetroot. It comes from the Andes (Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia and Peru) and has started to be cultivated between 3,000 and 5,000 years BCE. Called “chiciya mama” (‘mother of all grains’) by the Quechuas, quinoa was already a basis of the alimentation of the Andean population by the arrival of the Spanish after Christopher Columbus’ discovery in 1492. The author Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, first great Peruvian author, son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess, describes quinoa as one of the second grains cultivated on earth in his book Comentarios Reales de los Incas.

However Spanish conquistadores did not know how to use quinoa and preferred potatoes and corn to it. The Spanish oversight can surely be explained by the fact that one of the most popular form of quinoa needs to be scarified and cleaned to be eaten because of its toxic envelope that contains saponin.

There are many species of quinoa because of a selection of certain genotypes that operated and resulted in today’s plants and ecotypes. The climate conditions prevalent in the region are really harsh, explaining why different species have singular particularities: one better resists cold, the other salinity, Chullpi is used for soups and Ayaras for its nutritional values.

Medicinal & Nutritional values

Quinoa leaves, stems and grains are used for medicinal purposes: healing wounds, reducing swelling, soothing pain (like toothache) and disinfecting the urinary tract. They are also used in bone setting, internal bleeding and as insect repellents (thanks to saponin).



Quinoa is also called “superfood” for good reasons. It is gluten-free (and so does FAIR. Vodka). It is rich in protein, fiber and essential amino acids. This is because quinoa is healthy that developed countries, looking for a better diet, have turned their eyes to the Andean region for their imports.

The market of quinoa

According to the FAO STAT, in the period 1992-2010 the cultivated area and total production of quinoa in the main producer countries (Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador) doubled and tripled respectively, thanks to an unbelievable increase of the world’s demand. In 2002 80,000 hectares were recorded to be under quinoa cultivation, mainly in the Andean region.

Bolivia is the world first exporter mainly to the USA, the European Union and  Canada (94% of exports). Today the global production of quinoa is approximately 73,000 tonnes per year, and 75% (50,000 tonnes) goes to the USA.

The problem is that we lack some crucial figures: for example we do not possess any measure of the Peruvian production. The dramatic increase of quinoa market is also problematic for economic, social and agricultural reasons. Quinoa production in the Andean region is accused of being done at the expense of other activities like farming llamas. In addition it is blamed for degrading soils and inverting rural exodus.

Why Fairtrade quinoa?

Fair Trade enables quinoa farmers to make a better living but also to ensure a sustainable development (protection of soils).



Fair trade can be considered as a third answer to problems met in that region of the world. In fact the goal of fair trade is to organize a different international trade, fairer for little producers of developing countries. Therefore the question does not seem to be whether quinoa market should be developed or not, but how we organize this development in order for it to be fair and to make as many people as possible benefit from it. 

Eventually, the aim of fair trade is not only to deal with trade but also with sustainable development, in order to protect the conditions of production for future generations. The argument according which the development of quinoa production is weakening soils and threatening biodiversity consequently falls when one mentions fair trade in the debate.

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