U.N., Andean Countries Promote Awareness Of Quinoa’s Many Benefits

The U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has joined with officials from South American quinoa-growing countries to launch the “International Year of Quinoa”. Quinoa is grown in the arid Andean altiplano regions of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, where it has been a food staple for thousands of years. Officials hope the International Year will raise awareness of quinoa’s value among the world’s small farmers because it is rich in essential amino acids and vitamins, and grows easily in most temperatures, altitudes, and moisture conditions. FAO says this versatility makes quinoa “a viable food option for areas with arid farming conditions and high malnutrition rates”.