Gregory Beltran reports for La Prensa:
EUROPE, AMERICA, AFRICA AND EVEN CHINA MAKE EXPERIMENTS
More countries compete with the Andean quinoa
The country is making efforts, but is about to lose the comparative advantage of the product.
Quinoa worldwide crops expands rapidly and threatens the productive supremacy that Bolivia and Peru have so far, according to one of the conclusions that was drawn from the IV World Congress of Quinoa, which took place in the past few days in the Ecuadorian city of Ibarra.
While the Bolivian Government and producers are making efforts to improve the performance and the production of this cereal, competitors have doubled in the past 40 years, according to a report by the Terra Foundation, which recommends accelerating the denomination of origin [establishing precedent, patenting the origin source, etc.] of the so-called golden grain.
In this sense, the Government handles this denomination in Europe and the registration of the mark on the continent. This designation allows you to legally protect the quinoa of those who want to take advantage of the name. The Organization of the United Nations (UN) declared 2013 as the international year of quinoa because of the high nutrient content it has and its potential contribution to the world’s food safety.
One of the recommendations of the international event that took place in Ecuador, points out that “developed countries, slowly at first, but increasingly rapidly, have appropriated this resource”, that is why the attendees claimed if quinoa originating countries, like Bolivia, do not do something to defend the golden grain, they risk losing this heritage, as happened with many other products, as for example, the potato.
76% increased sales of quinoa between January and May this year compared to similar period of 2012.
BOLIVIA is the main producer and exporter of QUINOA, followed by PERU. Last year there was a production of more than 50 thousand tons, while in was he reaped slightly more than 38 thousand tons. at least 19 countries will be in the phase of experimentation, including Vietnam, Algeria, Uganda and others; Canada is an intermediate producer; Morocco, France and Australia are small producers; Egypt, Mali, Turkey and Japan began the phase of experimentation, as well as China and Russia, among other countries, according to a map drawn up by the Earth Foundation.
Instead of the useless travels, in/out of the country, current president should provide competitive resources towards the Quinoa. Should let the private sector invest at micro/macro levels. Should create public policies to secure a sustainable growth of the Quinoa industry before it is too late!! If he could abandon his relentless and illegitimate electoral campaign…?
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