Abstract
Quinoa, a food crop native to South America, is now gaining much attention in China. Quinoa was introduced to China in the 1960s; however, it was only distributed in scattered districts until 2008. The foundation of the Quinoa Committee of the Crop Science Society of China (QCCSSC) in 2015 has promoted the combination of policy-makers, researchers, manufacturers, and farmers related to quinoa. In 2018, the harvest area of quinoa in China increased to nearly 12,000 ha, with a total production of 20,000 tons distributed in 24 provinces. Through the collaboration of enterprise and research institutes, quinoa cultivation techniques were integrated into different eco-regions, and a series of stabilized breeding materials was gained. Additionally, 14 varieties were certified by provincial or municipal cultivar registration committees. Quinoa products, such as noodles, liquor, and yogurt, were developed based on nutritional and technological research. Thanks to the promulgation of the first Chinese industrial standard for quinoa, quinoa products are now available both in online shops and offline supermarkets. Above all, China is undergoing an adjustment of sustainable agricultural policy and increasing demands for more nutritional and diversified foods, demonstrating a great prospect for quinoa.
Highlights
Quinoa, an important food of the Andean prehistoric inhabitants, has been cultivated in the Andes areas for at least 7,000 years (Bazile et al, 2015; Zurita-Silva et al, 2014)
Quinoa was introduced to China in the 1960s; it was only distributed in scattered districts until 2008
Through the collaboration of enterprise and research institutes, quinoa cultivation techniques were integrated into different eco-regions, and a series of stabilized breeding materials was gained
Summary
An important food of the Andean prehistoric inhabitants, has been cultivated in the Andes areas for at least 7,000 years (Bazile et al, 2015; Zurita-Silva et al, 2014). 2012; Wright et al, 2002; Vega-Gálvez et al, 2010; Yao et al, 2014a; Yao et al, 2014b) It exhibits the characteristics of cold, drought and salinity resistance, which is important to the sustainable development of agricultural ecosystems (González et al, 2009; Jacobsen et al, 2007; Jensen et al, 2000). In the 1960s, quinoa germplasm was first introduced to China by cultivation experts from the former Institute of Crop Breeding and Cultivation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). Under the promotion of QCCSSC, from 2015 to 2018, three nationwide quinoa summits were held, and two quinoa books were translated into Chinese All these efforts received great attention from the central government and promoted quinoa to be listed in the crops guided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. The quinoa industry development in China will be summarized, including the cultivation and breeding, processing and marketing, as well as opportunities and challenges to provide information for quinoa industry participants all over the world and to promote its sustainable development
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