Study on the social, environmental and economic impacts of quinoa ...

Following various genetic improvement works, in 1970 the first sweet variety "Sajama", free
from saponin, was obtained, which made it possible for the farmer to have a quinoa ready for
use as foodstuff, saving time for the housewife who no longer had to spend time eliminating
saponin. This variety is currently cultivated in almost all areas of the Central and Northern
Altiplano of Bolivia and has also spread to the high-altitude areas of Peru. Apart from being
free from saponin, the Sajama variety has an average yield of 1,500 kilos per hectare at the
commercial level, with clear benefits for the producers.
The vegetative period of quinoa varies between 150 and 240 days with a plasticity of
adaptation to different environmental conditions. The different varieties present relative
indifference with respect to the photoperiod and altitude; they can be cultivated from sea level
to 3,900 metres above sea level and can tolerate soils with a wide range of pH from 6 to 8.5.
The variability and diversity of quinoa varieties can be summarised in 5 groups:
Quinoa of the valleys (2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level) which are lateripening
and of high stature.
Altiplano quinoa (around Lake Titicaca) which can withstand frosts and a relative
scarcity of rain.
Salt land quinoa (the plains of the Bolivian Altiplano) which can withstand salty soils.
Sea-level quinoa (found in the south of Chile) these being small plants without sprigs,
producing bitter grains.
Sub-tropical quinoa (inter-Andean valleys of Bolivia) which have small white or yellow
grains.
Royal Quinoa is a bitter variety, which is only produced in Bolivia, particularly in the districts
of Oruro and Potosí, around the salt flats of Uyuni and Coypaza. These lands and salt flats
offer the appropriate context for the production of this type of quinoa.
2.1. Quinoa production areas
In recent years an average surface area of more than 35,000 hectares has been cultivated
throughout the Bolivian Altiplano. The main cultivation areas developed in the country are in
La Paz, in the provinces of Aroma and Gualberto Villaroel, in Oruro, in the region of Salinas
de Garci Mendoza in the province of Ladislao Cabrera, which is one of the most important
areas under the communal ownership system, with equitable distribution of the land, and in
Potosí, which includes the region of Llica in the Province of Daniel Campos and the Province
of Nor Lípez, as one of the areas producing high-quality quinoa.
Bolivia is the biggest producer of quinoa, with 46% of world production, followed by Peru with
42% and the United States with 6.3%. According to the Andean Development Corporation
(CAF, CID, CLACDS-INCA, 2001), National production of quinoa during the 1970s amounted
to approximately 9,000 metric tons per year, covering a surface area of approximately 12,000
cultivated hectares. In recent years it has increased to an average of 22,000 metric tons per
year, produced over an area exceeding 35,000 hectares.
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