2013 is the UN International year of quinoa. Quinoa is a neglected and underutilized cereal crop with a long history in the Andes but its diversity has recently become undermined through the replacement of a wide range of traditional varieties by a narrow choice of commercially favoured ones. Read more about Bioversity International’s work on Neglected and Underutilized Species http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/marketing-diversity/neglected-and-underutilized-species/

1. The Quinoa Boom
Blessing or Curse?
Matthias Jäger
Bioversity International

2. Content
 Quinoa facts
 Livelihood benefits and trade-offs
 Outlook

3. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)
• Ancient crop of the Incas
• In 1996, quinoa was classified by FAO
as one of humanity’s most
promising crops
• Pseudocereal - Close relative of
spinach
• Well studied
• Good conservation (ex situ)
• Use: seeds (less leaves)

4. Adaptability &
Climate change
• Centre of origin: High Andes from
Colombia to Argentina
• From sea level up to 4.500m
• Temperature range: -8 C to 38 C
• Humidity from 40% to 90%
• Tolerates saline soils
• Highly water efficient plant (low
rainfall levels (100-200mm p.a.)
• Low input crop
• Established in areas unsuitable for
other crops
• Impact of climate change on centre of
origin in Bolivia and Peru

5. Nutritional aspects
• Ideal amino acids composition in both quality and quantity
• Trace elements, vitamins , linoleic acids (omega-3), amylases, no gluten
• Considered as superfood by NASA to be used in long-duration space travel
• Highly nutritious leaves (not used)

6. Ex situ conservation &
Genetic diversity
• More than 3.000 ecotypes
conserved at INIAF genebank in
Bolivia
Quinoa diversity and variability:
• Grain Color (66 colours)
• Vegetative cycle (110 a 210 days)
• Protein content of the grain (10.21 to
18.39%)

7. Field production system
 Low productivity (annual yield of 573 kg / ha in Bolivia)
 Lack of good agricultural practices, improved varieties and
enhanced cultivation practices
 Drudgery in processing and value addition at farm level
 Considerable harvest and post harvest loss
 Perception of being “food of the poor” has changed in recent years,
but still a NUS crop in many other aspects

8. Quinoa Processing
Improving processing technology of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)
winning washing drying milling

9. Quinoa: Industrial processing

10. Traditional Uses &
Consumption patterns

11. Quinoa: Non traditional uses
 There are several products derived
from quinoa, such as puffs, flour,
pastas, drinks, flakes, granola,
energy bars, etc.
 Series of sub-products can be
obtained for use as food, in
cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
 Requires the use of advanced
technologies such as the
extraction of quinoa oil, starch,
saponins, colourings from the
leaves and seeds, etc.

12. Novel applications: Natural Colorants

13. Marketing: Bolivian and Peruvian companies at
BIOFACH 2009 in Germany
• Direct sales to international markets and
increased market power for Bolivian farmers
organized in big cooperatives
• Bolivian exports mostly as bulk quinoa seeds
• Value addition and processing mostly done
by importers and processors in the US and
EU
• Huge opportunities on growing organic and
fair trade markets (90% of Bolivian exports
are organic certified)
• Quinoa exports consist mostly of Bolivian
organic quinoa Real (white quinoa).
• Exports of red and black quinoa are
growing.

14. Quinoa Production
• Quinoa cultivation is expanding: 2010 production in the Andean
Region was about 78,000 t with 41,000 t produced by Peru, 36,000 t by
Bolivia (90% of world quinoa production).
• United States, Ecuador and Canada with about 10% of global
production volumes.
• Quinoa is also cultivated in England, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands,
Italy and France.
• In the Himalayas, the plains of Northern India and Kenya quinoa can
develop successfully and with high yields

15. Quinoa – Exports & Prices
• Bolivia is the largest exporter of quinoa ( € 30 million,
15.116 tons in 2009) of the world followed by Peru (€ 4.6
million, 2.400 tons in 2009)
• In Bolivia 58% of total national quinoa production is still
consumed domestically (Peru 94%)
• The price for quinoa sold by farmers has almost tripled,
from US $ 800 (1999) to US $ 2.300 / ton (2008).
• The major importers of Bolivian quinoa grain are: United
States (45%), France (16%), Netherlands (13%), Germany,
Canada, Israel, Brazil, UK.
• Quinoa still remains relatively unknown to EU and US
consumers.

16. Calculation of estimated value-added (US$ Dolar)
Quinoa, Puno (Peru), Harvest 2011
Farmer Exporter Importer Retail shop
In Peru EU
EU
Prices per / kilo $ 1.98 $2.8 $4.50 $9.00
Cost of production $1.06 $ 1.98 $2.80 $4.50
Other inputs $ 0.12 $ 0.50 $ 0.80
Net value added $0.92 $0.70 $1.20 $3.70
% of total value-added 14.1 % 10.7 % 18.4 % 56.8 %
Local Middlemen Importing& Organic
Farmers or farmer Distributing Shops
Titikaka Lake association Companies (mostly)

17. Livelihood benefits
 Quinoa as a strategic product for the extremely marginalized area of
southern altiplano of Bolivia has had a significant impact on the
20.000 households involved in production, processing and sales
 Incomes have increased and will enable farmers to meet basic
needs which today are unsatisfied (education, health, housing,
electricity and water)
 Impact on regional and district development growth
 Many migrants have returned from cities and many small farms
have been maintained

18. Quinoa: Trade-offs of intensified
production
Issue Impact
No crop rotation More pests & diseases
Planting only in flat areas due to the Higher yield but also higher risk of
need to use tractors soil fertility loss
Mechanized ploughing using Soil erosion. Propagation of pests
tractors
Use of chemical pesticides Environmental contamination,
residual effects
Increased sales of quinoa to Change of diets. Less quinoa and
markets and higher prices more white bleach flour products
(pasta, bread)
Market preference for royal quinoa Genetic erosion
(white, large seeds)

19. Sustainability issues
• The current booming production of quinoa in the southern
altiplano of Bolivia raises legitimate concerns about social
and environmental sustainability in the region
• Rapid changes in crop systems are potentially threatening
the environmental basis for a sustainable quinoa production
and soil fertility
• We have still very limited knowledge about the relationship
between the booming quinoa production and :
 the agro-ecological and social basis of quinoa sustainability
 potential change of dietary pattern of Bolivian farmers and
 erosion of intra-specific quinoa diversity

20. Outlook
1. Quinoa has a high potential both for its nutritional benefits and its agricultural
versatility to contribute to food security in various regions of the planet,
especially in countries which are limited in food production or where the population
has no access to protein sources.
2. By achieving substantial improvements in production technology, and
assuming an integral perspective (organic farming, fair trade), the production
levels could be improved to assist in sustainably improving the income for the
quinoa-growing families.
3. Existing knowledge, technology and best practices for a sustainable
intensification of quinoa production needs to be shared and scaled out.
4. Extension of quinoa outside the Andes potentially encouraged through the
International Year of Quinoa: Issue of benefit sharing (Nagoya Protocol)?

21. MUCHAS GRACIAS!!