October 15, 2015

By Ana Lucia Escudero, Strategic Communications for Inter-American Development Bank

Until recently, you couldn’t find quinoa in any U.S. supermarket. Except perhaps Whole Foods. Now, many large box stores like Walmart and Walgreens sell it. 

Ancient Harvest, one of the first American companies to import quinoa from Bolivian traditional farmers, sells the red quinoa variety at $6.99. At that price, thrifty shoppers may prefer to stick with the $2.99 box of rice.

Yet, more and more health-conscious Americans are switching to this super-food for its highly nutritious value and anti-cancerous properties.

But the quinoa fascination extends to more than just health and wellness.

Feeding the Planet

On October 16th, World Food Day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Italian President Sergio Mattarella will call for new solutions to the global food supply challenge in the face of climate change. They will do so at the Expo Milano 2015, where 140 countries are showcasing their very best products to millions of visitors in gigantic pavillions. The Expo’s central theme this year is “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.”

Quinoa fits nicely with the Expo Milano’s theme. The “chisaya mama” or “mother of all cereals” as the traditional Bolivian farmers call quinoa, could be one solution to sustainable food sourcing. 

Quinoa needs much less water to cultivate than rice. On average, rice requires 15,000 cubic meters of water for 1 hectare, according to Peru’s Ministry of Agriculture. Quinoa only needs 1,000 cubic meters. That’s a highly water-conscious crop.

Along the coast of Peru, known for its arid and desert conditions, fresh water is a limited resource. The Ministry is encouraging traditional farmers to make the switch from rice to quinoa through its Proquinoa program.

Where does quinoa come from?

Quinoa still is predominantly produced by traditional farmers and associations in the highlands of the Andes. Bolivia and Peru are the world’s largest producers of quinoa. Together with Ecuador, the three represent 80% of total quinoa production worldwide, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In the 1980s, a few U.S. companies began introducing quinoa to the American market in boutique shops. Ancient Harvest was one of the frontrunners. But only in the past five years, large food producers like Conagra Foods have joined the quinoa super-food trend.

This is mainly due to the rise in demand in the U.S. and European markets. U.S. imports jumped from 7.66 million in 2007 pounds to 68.9 million pounds in 2013. And its price more than doubled, to $1.56 a pound from 72 cents.

But can quinoa really be a viable food source for global food security?

Ensuring a sustainable quinoa supply

Along the quinoa chain, there are several actors at play: traditional farmers, associations, manufacturers and importers. In recent years, many farmers in the Andes have concentrated their efforts on quinoa without rotation strategies to ensure better yields and land use. Climate change and its effects on land usage is also a rising factor.

The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank, approved a $3.9 million technical cooperation project to help improve the resiliency of quinoa produced by small farmers in La Paz, Bolivia.

As global demand for quinoa continues to rise, we should be careful not to over-farm this super-crop. If quinoa is to be considered one solution to addressing global food security, proper planning by all players along the quinoa chain must take place to ensure it continues to be produced sustainably – for years to come.