Perspectives for sustainable agriculture under global changes: quinoa supporting food and nutrition security

Bazile Didier. 2021. Perspectives for sustainable agriculture under global changes: quinoa supporting food and nutrition security. . FAO-RAP, ICBA. s.l. : FAO-RAP, Résumé, 2 p. Expert Consultation Workshop on Quinoa, Thaïlande, 7 Décembre 2021/8 Décembre 2021.

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Note générale : Le congrès s'est tenu en ligne

Résumé : Biodiversity conservation is today a key global concern of the international community with the last (IPBES, IPCC, FAO) global assessments in 2019. This loss of biodiversity places our agriculture and our food at risk. In Latin America, the Andean altiplano is one of the centers of origin or "hot-spot" of the world's biodiversity. For thousands of years, the populations have interacted with the agroecosystems. Quinoa crop has evolved from a complex process of biological, geographical, climatic, social and cultural interactions that have determined its current high genetic diversity. The declaration by the United Nations General Assembly as “2013, the International Year of Quinoa” aimed to draw global attention to the role of quinoa's biodiversity and nutritional value in food security and poverty eradication, in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) knowns as neglected and underutilized species, was considered major crop used by the Pre-Colombian cultures in Latin America for centuries. As a consequence of the invasion and the conquest by the Spanish, cultivation and consumption of this crops were suppressed and thereafter only continued on a minor or local scale. Quinoa has been grown in the Andes for over 7,000 years. After centuries of neglect, the potential of quinoa was only rediscovered during the second half of the twentieth century. Following the International Year of Quinoa (IYQ) in 2013, the case of quinoa was highlighted with the potential to rapidly change its status from a minor to a major crop in the world agriculture, on basis of the role that quinoa's biodiversity and its high nutritional value can play in providing global food security. Compared to the major cereals for agriculture and world food (Wheat, Corn, Rice), quinoa has a much higher protein content (from 14 to 19%). But above all, it presents a good balance between all the Essential Amino Acids, with contents above the FAO recommendations for each of them. Much emphasis has been be placed on the quality of quinoa's proteins for its promotion and worldwide recognition, but its nutritional value is more global. The balanced structure of essential amino acids is one of the main characteristics of quinoa but not the only one. Quinoa grains contain a very high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially omegas 3,6,9) that are essential for human growth and development (brain, muscles, retina). Vitamin E highly present, which is a collective term for tocopherols (α, β, γ and δ) and tocotrienols (α, β, γ and δ) with known biological activity, is essential for reproduction and growth of mammals including humans. The α-tocopherol in particular is a powerful antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of plant lipids, especially seeds. (to fight against cholesterol). It protects the body from cell damage that maintains a healthy immune system to protect against chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Quinoa is also very rich in many minerals, and it contains as much fiber as whole grains, useful to moderate the glycemic index of the meal. Vit B1 allows the production of energy from carbohydrates (sugars). Vitamin B9 or folic acid (also called folates) is essential for cell renewal and for the development of the fetus during pregnancy. The answer to healthy eating lies in the diversity cultivated by small-scale farmers in the Andes. Quinoa diversity, at a continental scale, has been associated with five main ecotypes: Highlands or Altiplano (Peru and Bolivia), Inter-Andean valleys (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), Salt flats (Bolivia, Chile and Argentina), Tropical Yungas (Bolivia) and Coastal/Lowlands (Chile). Each of these ecotypes is associated with sub-centres of diversity that comes from the surroundings of the Lake Titicaca. And each one corresponds to specific conditions of altitude, latitude and soils and climatic conditions. Considering its origin in central and southern Chile, the sea level ecotype appears as the most adapted to Temperate and Mediterranean environments. With high attention to the Chilean germplasm, the number of quinoa producing countries has risen rapidly from 8 (in the 80') until 125 today. From at least 5000 years ago until the beginning of the 80's, the Chenopodium quinoa grain has been specific to the Andean countries in South America. But since the other countries understood the potential and benefits of Quinoa, the amount of experimentation conducted did not stop growing. The multiplication and the spread of experimental stations are directly linked to major international initiatives for research. Research partnerships have often facilitated the exchange of germplasm and have had a powerful impact on this development by strengthened collaborations. However, partnerships between research institutions for germplasm exchanges need to consider legal and ethical aspects related to the access to genetic resources for experimentation and fair commercial development. The most important project, during the 90', that explain quinoa worldwide expansion is the project with the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the International Potato Center (CIP), in Peru. There were fields trials in new countries, and most of them are involved in the European and American Test of Quinoa, organized by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), and coordinated by the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, and the CIP- DANIDA Quinoa project. The aim of this project was to create a state of art of quinoa based on multiple experimentations. The spread of worldwide quinoa is made from strong relationships between institutions that share their genetic material. FAO played a key role on this issue for the International Year of Quinoa. During the past thirty years, quinoa was tested in all the continents and nowadays, quinoa is cultivated in more than 125 countries. Quinoa globalization entails challenges to the countries of origin and these are important to consider for future development. Understanding this reality is fundamental to face the challenges of conserving local biodiversity, developing and promoting new varieties, and cooperating on plant genetic resources exchanges with inclusive processes towards fair benefits with Andean countries. In conclusion, drought resistance, salinity tolerance and exceptional nutritional value are some of the advantages of quinoa to face the effects of climate change in agriculture. But access to genetic resources is necessary to allow the adaptation of an exotic species in new environments. Research plays a central role in the development of quinoa through international collaborations. But, it is necessary to be patient before expecting a commercial production. Adoption of quinoa by local populations is essential for producing it in a sustainable way.

Mots-clés libres : Quinoa, Biodiversity, Food Security, Global changes, Nutrition

Auteurs et affiliations

• Bazile Didier, CIRAD-ES-UMR SENS (FRA) ORCID: 0000-0001-5617-9319

Source : Cirad-Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/600247/)

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