How the growing demand for Quinoa affects Bolivia

Quinoa consumption has rapidly grown in the last decade which can be explained through the high nutritional quality of quinoa, the trend of healthy eating habits and the fact that most of the Quinoa grown is produced by small- scale farmers who are mainly producing organic Quinoa. However the growing demand of Quinoa also has negative effects on one of the main producing countries: Bolivia. As the international demand of the ´Super Food ´is expected to grow continuously, a sustainable production of quinoa in Bolivia has to be ensured. The following article describes the positive and negative effects on the Bolivian quinoa production through the growing demand and discusses the challenges Bolivian farmers are facing in the future.

First of all, the prices have gone up in the global north, but also in Bolivia, since the demand for the seed has grown. Between 2008 and 2010 the prices raised even three fold which makes it much less affordable for the average Bolivian, who are already living on a low budget. Since some Bolivians cannot afford the seed anymore, they eat much less Quinoa as they used to and switch to other food sources such as rice. Quinoa has been consumed by the Bolivians since centuries and it is seen as part of their traditional diet and a way of expressing their culture. Due to this it’s a misery for a lot of Bolivians that they are not able to afford a product, which otherwise has been so easy to reach. (N.Romer, 2015)

As more and more people consume Quinoa, also the ecology is affected. The cultivation area of Quinoa has doubled since the growing demand and this is threatening fragile soils in high plateau. Traditionally and historically the crop is grown on higher plateau on the mountainside, but as the demand grew, farmers had to start cultivating the crop also on flat scrub. Moreover the introduction of mechanization of the cultivation process started to play a way more important role than before. Accordingly farmers have started to use disc flows and tractor which are considered as much less sustainable then the traditional farming practices. Traditionally fertilization of the crop is taking place by the introduction of alpacas, llamas and sheep who are giving nutrients to the soil. However the immense production has pushed animals from the land which leads to a decrease in the natural fertilizer and a loss of nutrients in the soil in cases of 50 percent of the farmers. The export sector of Quinoa is demanding mainly 3 varieties of quinoa which covers 75 percent of the entire production in Bolivia. As the varieties which are produced have diminished, the biodiversity in this area is also reduced. (FAO,n.d)

Beside the negative effects the increased demand has on Bolivia, the government has made effort to increase organic production of all agricultural products through the use of the certificate ´Bolicert´ which is officially recognized by the EU and USAID. Farmers who are participating are getting technical assistance and support for higher yields, which are simultaneously aimed to improve the quality of the products. (N.Romer, 2015)

It can be seen that the immense demand for Quinoa leaves Bolivia with some major challenges to deal with in the future. Due to the increased production, more mechanization is used, which pushes away traditional farming systems which are seen as much more sustainable. However the government is making effort to increase the organic production and is aiming to produce crops in a more sustainable way. AS the prices rise, the crop has to become affordable to the Bolivian community again, since the seed is one of the major contributor of nutrients to their diets.

For more information check out these videos : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5S3s-LmGo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wm3b7zweh8

References

FAO, (n.d), Check out this infographic on the impact of the quinoa boom on Bolivian family and small-scale farmer, year accessed: 2016 from http://www.fao.org/family-farming-2014/news/news/details-press-room/en/c/223319/

Romer, N. (December 2015), Do you Know Where your Quinoa comes from, Year accessed: 2016 from http://nacla.org/news/2015/12/23/do-you-know-where-your-quinoa-comes

Crop Classification and Country of origin

The first thing we might think of, if we hear quinoa is that it is some kind of a cereal or a “ healthier version “ of rice, which it is actually not. The following paragraph is solving the riddle and gives a short introduction on the crop and to one of the countries it is produced in: Bolivia.

Quinoa, classified as the species Chenopodium quinoa wild and comes from the genus of ChenopodiumL. which includes crops such as sugar beets and many other species. Quinoa is part oft he Amaranthaceas family, Order of Caryophyllales, Class of Magnoliopsida, Subdivision of seed plants and from the Kingdom of Plantae. (Report, n.d )Therefore Quinoa could be categorized as a grain crop as it is cultivated for the seeds its produces. Even as the crop is not considered as Poaceae (such as cereals), quinoa is sometimes still mentioned in this group of cereal crop because of its high starch content. Another category where Quinoa fits into is pulses beacuse besides the moderate starch content, the  Quinoa seeds are high in protein and contain no gluten which especially attracts consumer who are aiming to live on a healthy diet. Another big advantage of the crop is that the cultivation can be applied in high climate risk regions as the plant tolerates water with some salt content, high winds, frosts and also drought. (n.d, M. Smith)  Due to the adaptability and the high nutritional value of the crop, it has been selected by FAO as one of the crops which provide food security in the next century.  (n.d, Botanical)

Figure 1 Quinoa crop (Quinoa info, n.d) 

The center of origin and genetic diversity of the plant goes way back in history and started on the border of Peru and Bolivia. Since 3000 b.C., Quinoa has been cultivated by the Incas. This is why the crop is also called the Mother of the grain. The seeds are traditionally consumed in the highlands of Andes in South America but since the last decade the demand of quinoa in other countries has skyrocked which also has an effect on the economy and ecology of the region the crop comes from. (N.Romer, 2015)

There are many issues associated with the growing demand of the ´health food´ which are having an effect on the environment where the crop grows at, as well as the food prices in Bolivia and in importing countries. The next post will go more into detail on the issues which are associated with the growing demand of this super food. 

References

Botanical,O., (n.d), Quinoa Characteristics, year accessed: 2016 from http://www.botanical-online.com/english/quinoa_characteristics.htm

Report, I. (n.d ). Chenopodium quinoa Willd .Date acessed: September 2017 from Taxonomix Serial No: 506567 : https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=506567#null

Romer, N.(December 2015), Do you know where your Quinoa comes from? , year accessed: 2016 from http://nacla.org/news/2015/12/23/do-you-know-where-your-quinoa-comes

Smith,M. (n.d), Quinoa, year accessed 2016 from http://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/grains-oilseeds/quinoa/

Figure 1: Quinoa crop, year acessed: 2016 from Quinoa.info 

Introduction to this Blog

This Blog is carried out as part of the study course´ International Food and Agribusiness´ at the HAS University of applied Sciences in den Bosch. During the course of ´Crop Production´, we are able to choose a crop and a country we would like to investigate. I choose Quinoa in Bolivia as I can see the growing demand of the crop especially in developed countries as it is classified as a healthy source of nutrients. Quinoa has been cultivated since thousands of years in Bolivia and the cultivation is associated with the Andean culture and traditions. I´m very passionate about learning more about the crop as such, as well as the cultivation practices and the country it grows in. I hope everyone who follows this blogs enjoys to learn more about this unique crop as much as I do :)