Right before leaving for Quito I asked Baltazar what problems Quinoa, as a product, had experienced in the past. How strange, I thought, that the main focus of my week here in the Chimborazo community of Balda Lupaxi had been on a crop that I had previously never seen or heard of. Baltazar, the local director of the community, replied that in the past the nutritional value of Quinoa was not fully appreciated, and therefore not reflected in its value on the market. The lack of demand in Ecuador, as well as high processing costs, meant that many farmers had little interest in growing the plant.
Quinoa (Quinua in Spanish, Kinoa in Quechua) is a cereal that grows almost solely in the Andes of Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. These days it is well known for its great nutritional value and especially high amounts of protein, although in the past the Incas were well aware of its strengths. Unfortunately so were the Spanish conquistors, who saw Quinoa as the source of the power of the Incas. Spanish destruction of the crop (and replacement with European grains such as Barley and Wheat) left the plant as a forgotten crop.
In recent decades natural scientists discovered the rich qualities of Quinoa, and it then became recognised as a potential contributor to problems of malnutrition and undernutrition in the Andes. This was one of many things I learnt whilst in Riobamba (capital of Chimborazo Province) talking Manfred Ebertseder of Deutcher Engtwicklungdienst (DED), the German government development organisation who have helped to reignite the cultivation of Quinoa. Today over 2600 indigenous producers of Chimborazo are part of an organisation which processes and exports to the UK and France. It´s important for the producers to be organised in such a way, not only for the export procedure, but also because the plant requires a lot of processing and carrying this out on a larger scale is much less costly.
Manfred spoke of the social importance of Quinoa, his opinion is that it can play an important part in the rediscovery of identity that the indigenous people of Ecuador are living. “We also send Agroeconomists who ensure that the nutrition of the communities is a primary concern, and Agroscientists who pass on expert knowledge of farming techniques.” He said. I was assured that quality of life (especially nutrition), as well as incomes of producers have increased since he has been working in the area. The DED team is looking to finish their work in Chimborazo in the near future, leaving behind an infrastructure and a base of knowledge that will allow the producers and citizens of the communities to control their own future. Encouraged by this attitude I left Riobamba eager to learn more about this mysterious crop.
Baltazar was always very happy to answer my questions and on the bus ride back he told me of the social and environmental factors that have a grave impact on the lives of the Balda Lupaxi community. The changeable climate and prevalent deforestation has lead to a level of soil degradation, although the truth is that Quinoa is a very resistant plant.
Migration is a great social and economic problem in the area. During my visit I noticed that the population of the community was made up of parents, both young and old, along with very young children. The adolescents of the community tend to leave for the cities, either permanently or during the weekdays, in search of work or education. It is hard to tell whether or not this migration is more individually more beneficial than working on agriculture, but the effect on agricultural production is bound to be negative.
Before returning from Riobamba to the community we stopped to witness a meeting of Quinoa producers from around the Balda Lupaxi area. After a brief introduction by a man speaking Quechua, a young woman began speaking to the group in Spanish. I immediately recognised the logo on her T-Shirt: she was from the Fair Trade Company. From what I understood the Fair Trade Company arranged for a premium of $4 to be paid to cultivators for every Quintal produced, raising the price to $39. “The thing is that most farmers only produce few Quintals per year”, Baltazar explained, “The Fair Trade Premium only really affects those who produce a lot”. For this reason it was not clear to me whether the strict standards that the farmers must adhere to (in order to qualify for Fair Trade and Organic Status) offset the small individual benefit gained from the premium.
So what of the future of the Quinoa crop? If the popularity of Fair Trade products continues, as it is in England, to rise in popularity then there will no doubt be a demand. The important thing is that fair markets are created where Ecuadorian, Peruvian, and Bolivian farmers can compete on a level playing field with those in the developed countries in which they wish to export. Unfortunately I didn´t have the chance to learn about what actions the Fair Trade Organisation take to achieve this end.
The farmers of the Balda Lupaxi area certainly have an advantage over many of their competitors in that their product is also Organic. On top of this they are well organised, and have benefited from the expertise of DED, but do the people really want to make their living through selling Quinoa? Can they earn more in the short-term by migrating to the city, and even if they don´t earn as much, is the lure of the city greater than the wish to live as a farmer? These questions may remain unanswered until, if and when, I return to Chimborazo Province. However, one thing is for sure, if the passion and determination my host, Baltazar shows towards the subject is anything to go by, the future is bright for the Quinoa cultivators of Balda Lupaxi.
Graham Marsh 07-12-07
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