Development of the Quinoa Chain in High Andean Communities

Peru is the main producer and exporter of quinoa worldwide. Quinoa is a superfood that contributes to food security. For smallholder farmers in the Andean region, its cultivation is an ancestral tradition passed down from generation to generation.

Over the last few decades, quinoa international trade has increased exponentially. While, initially, the Quinoa boom had a positive effect on the welfare of smallholder farmers, it was short-lived. Nowadays, farmers with no cultural link to the crop but with access to more capital, technology, credit, and geographical advantage, are now outcompeting the small Andean farmers that quinoa’s commercialisation first had the potential to benefit.

In this context, we’ve partnered with USAID on a five year project that aims to enhance the livelihoods of 700 organic smallholder quinoa farmers in Apurimac, Ayacucho, and Puno. We’re supporting farmers to improve their productivity, quality, and their access to premium markets through organic certification. Moreover, by carrying out a series of instructional trainings in nutrition, screening children for anaemia and implementing vegetable gardens, we aim to increase health and food security in quinoa farming communities.