From Lost Crop to Lucrative Commodity: Conservation Implications of the Quinoa Renaissance

Abstract

This paper examines the conservation implications of initiatives to invigorate the cultivation of quinoa in the Andes. Two decades back, quinoa was considered a lost crop of the Incas—ceding ground to Old World grains within the Andes and remaining undiscovered beyond the region. Yet, the following years were to witness a grand quinoa renaissance. A series of campaigns were initiated to conserve the crop and reinforce its role in Andean fields. Quinoa caught the attention of chefs and consumers across the world, and production and exports rose rapidly. While research on other crops often has associated increased commercialization with the loss of crop diversity from farmers' fields, few have considered the impact of the above development on quinoa diversity. This article addresses this issue through a case study in Northern Ecuador, employing ethnographic and survey data. Assessments of quinoa varietal diversity before and after the implementation of several quinoa projects reveal that a new formally br...