For me, every year is the year of quinoa. There’s a reason they call me the Queen of Quinoa around here in the office. It happens, however, that this year is officially the 2013 International Year of Quinoa, which is why scientists, producers, and senior ministers met recently in Ibarra, Ecuador for the Fourth World Congress on Quinoa. The main goal of the Congress was to support research, production and consumption of quinoa. As Ecuador’s Minister of Agriculture, Javier Ponce said, 

“One of the goals is to reach the year 2014 with a production strategy for this golden grain with an emphasis on a more human approach to nutrition, to ensure food security in the fight against hunger and poverty.”

These sound like the kinds of words ministers always put in their comments at conferences, but there’s some urgent – and important – realities behind this statement.  The “golden grain” has become wildly popular among chefs and gastronomes alike, and now demand is up so much that poor people in Ecuador and Peru can no longer afford to eat quinoa. The Congress is hoping this delicious and protein packed grain can become more sustainable and affordable so that it can join in the fight against hunger on a more international level. 

Highlights of the Quinoa Congress included heated debates about the crop’s nutritional values, the quinoa industry and grain production. The meeting also covered much-discussed quinoa related topics such as water scarcity and soil salinity. With its newfound celebrity and anticipated contribution to the world hunger epidemic, growers, producers and agriculturalist must all find a way to make the grain sustainable. Nemesia Achacollo, the Bolivian Minister of Rural Development and Land, called on “all experts, scientists and agronomists to work alongside producers, to plan a common strategic alliance…” While there has been much discussion in the news about quinoa’s sustainability, the Congress addressed this issue with their proposed plan to collect, evaluate, study, document and preserve quinoa seeds and are hopeful that the grain’s popularity and consequential demand will continue as will its supply.  

This certainly has been a lively and productive International Year of Quinoa. As Technical Secretary of the International Year of Quinoa 2013 and Senior Policy Officer of FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Salomon Salcedo put it, 

“2013 not only draws attention to the development of quinoa worldwide, but it also recognizes the many challenges that the modern world may face moving forward, appealing to the knowledge and tradition accumulated by ancient peoples and small farmers, who are currently its main producers.”

I look forward to seeing all of the progress the quinoa industry will make, both gastronomically and in the fight against hunger and poverty. (Mallory)