Quinoa, which
until recently was eaten mainly by poor rural communities in Bolivia, seems to
be everywhere these days. From quinoa salads to a gourmet
backpacking dinner, we’ve featured a fair few quinoa recipes ourselves.
This is not
without good reason.
Quinoa as
superfood
Rich in
protein, fiber, and essential amino acids, quinoa packs a powerful
nutritional punch. But quinoa’s new found status as an international “superfood” has led
some people to question the very nature of our global food system.
Rising prices
blamed for food insecurity
In a much
talked about and quoted blog post, Joanna Blythman of the Guardian questioned
whether vegans and whole foods enthusiasts were depriving the Bolivian poor of
a grain they once relied on for survival:
“The appetite
of countries such as ours for this grain has pushed up prices to such an extent
that poorer people in Peru and Bolivia, for whom it was once a nourishing
staple food, can no longer afford to eat it. Imported junk food is cheaper. In
Lima, quinoa now costs more than chicken.”
Inevitably,
Blythman’s piece elicited a passionate and derisive response from free
market enthusiasts like Doug Saunders of the Globe and Mail, who argued that
the economic boost from quinoa exports was lifting the rural poor out of
poverty.
Responsible
development of the market
When this
controversy first kicked off, I argued over at TreeHugger that the framing of
the debate as quinoa good/quinoa bad was largely missing the point:
“Just as the
rehabilitation of derelict inner-city properties brings with it both the
problems of gentrification and the promise of urban renewal, so too the idea of
a global food trade raises the potential for both economic empowerment and
further exploitation of marginalized communities.”
That seems to
be a position that’s echoed by veterans of the quinoa trade in Bolivia.
A false choice
On a recent
conference call, Edouard Rollet, co-founder and president of Alter Eco — one of
the companies credited with pioneering the fair trade and organic quinoa
markets — suggested that it is not a question of whether or not to develop the
quinoa market, but rather how it is done:
“Giving the
poorest of the poor in Latin America — farmers that grow quinoa — access to
income or "protecting" this region from globalization, is a false
choice. It's up to everyone involved, especially companies, to determine if
they will operate in a way that fairly benefits those at quinoa's origin — or
if they will operate business as usual.”
Alter Eco began
working with Bolivian small scale quinoa farmers in 2005, says Rollet,
partnering with the National Association of Quinoa Producers (ANAPQUI). This
was at a time when there was no Fair Trade standards for quinoa and they had to
develop their own. Since then, Alter Eco has seen huge changes in the
conditions of these quinoa growing communities.
Food insecurity
a complex, global issue
Pablo Laguna,
an anthropologist specializing in development issues, points to a tripling of
farmer incomes since 1995, and suggests that concerns over food security
resulting from quinoa production have been much exaggerated:
“There’s really
no significant data to support the idea that the quinoa boom has led to food
security issues. We’re actually seeing many farmers in the region growing as
much quinoa as they ever did for their own consumption. There has been a shift
toward processed foods among some elements of the population, and food prices
are clearly a problem. But these problems are global problems that have been
well documented elsewhere too. They can’t just be
attributed to quinoa.”
Farming
communities empowered by boom
In addition to
raised household incomes - which have resulted partially from spin off
industries and the ability that quinoa income has provided for investing in
diversified income streams - Laguna also points to an increase in Government
investment and a raised political profile for these once marginalized communities:
“As the
industry has grown, the government has invested in local infrastructure to
support the community – from access to electricity, to better roads, schools
and health. That’s happened because quinoa growers have gained legitimacy in
the eyes of the government and are able to negotiate rural development
policies.”
The threat of
unfettered growth
While they are
bullish about the benefits that quinoa has brought to the Altiplano region,
Alter Eco and their farming partners still agree with critics of the boom that
market forces must be kept in check if these communities are going to continue
to thrive.
With rising
prices comes increased foreign investment, and Rollet suggests that many of the
newcomers to the market are not pursuing the same aggressive social and
environmental policies that Alter Eco has pioneered:
“How quinoa is
sourced is critical to ensuring the sustainability of the crop and that farmers
continue to receive the benefits of a flourishing quinoa market. We’re seeing
some private companies taking shortcuts with product quality, water recycling
and employee treatment. Others have been going around ANAPQUI, offering farmers
a higher direct-to-farmer price, which leaves us subsidizing the companies
who don’t invest into the system. We have to compete with them but we’re not on
a level playing field.”
Managing the
boom
When asked how
the quinoa boom can be best managed for the benefit of the farmers themselves,
Rollet offers a very specific laundry list of recommendations. This includes
encouraging beneficial partnerships between companies like Alter Eco and
farming cooperatives like ANAPQUI; promoting increased government investment
and support for the region’s farmers; and designating quinoa “real” , or royal
quinoa, as a regionally specific product, like champagne or
Pargmigiano-Reggiano:
“Quinoa Real is
a true product of terroir. It’s larger, it’s fluffier, and it’s less bitter
than other quinoas. It thrives in the harsh conditions of the Altiplano region.
It might be able to be grown elsewhere, but the results are never the same.
Protecting this term for the indiginous farmers whose ancestors have grown it
for centuries would give them a powerful voice in the international
marketplace.”
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