Quinoa: The most divisive superfood of the 21st century

Brought to you by [Quartz Obsession] Quinoa February 28, 2018 Against the grain --------------------------------------------------------------- Last week, Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak caused what the [New York Times described as a “tempest in a quinoa bowl”]( by stating that he preferred the South American grain over rice, his country’s staple food. Political opponents quickly branded him as out of touch—a gaffe reminiscent of [Barack Obama trying to connect with an Iowans]( by griping about the price of arugula at Whole Foods. Razak is still widely expected to win a third term as prime minister, and he further explained later that his doctor had recommended quinoa—which is low in sugar and high in protein—as a healthy alternative to rice. However, it does beg the question: Why does quinoa have such a nose for trouble? As a high-protein, drought-resistant crop, quinoa could [fix the obesity-prone Western diet]( provide an [agricultural boon to regions made arid by climate change]( and feed the world’s growing population. But a long-running feud over quinoa’s genetic heritage (and the trickiness of processing it) makes this a chewy subject. 🌐 [View this email on the web]( By the digits [300%:]( Price increase for quinoa between 2006 and 2013, due to high demand in the United States and Europe [$1.10:]( Cost-per-pound of quinoa in 2017 [14 to 18%:]( Protein content of quinoa; rice is about 8% [3 to 7:]( Height in feet of mature quinoa plants [70,000:]( Tonnes of quinoa produced in the Andean region in 2009 [70:]( Countries now cultivating quinoa, including India, Kenya, France, Italy, and the United States 🐦 [Tweet this card]( Origin story Spreading the seed --------------------------------------------------------------- Quinoa is native to the Andean region of South America, where it was domesticated about 3,000 years ago. The Incas considered it the sacred “mother of all grains.” Today, most of the world’s quinoa is grown in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. It was a quiet, local crop—the food of Andean peasants, until the 1990s, when its categorization as a superfood prodded health-minded consumers to try the grain. Brought to you by Harvard Business School Today’s businesses are flooded with data. --------------------------------------------------------------- Knowing how to use it can be your competitive advantage. Harvard Business School’s big data and business analytics program gives you the expertise you need to lead companies in the age of big data.[Learn how to lead in the age of big data]( brief history The culture of quinoa --------------------------------------------------------------- [1993:]( Grains in spaaace! In a report by NASA, [quinoa is described]( as “an emerging ‘new’ crop with potential for CELSS”—that’s a Controlled Ecological Life Support System, if you don’t speak space acronyms. “While no single food can supply all the essential life-sustaining nutrients,” researchers concluded, “quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.” [2008:]( Enter Oprah. The talk-show host sparked a craze when she included the grain in her health-food cleanse diet. The net effect saw US quinoa imports rise from 7 million lbs in 2008 to [70 million lbs by 2013](. [2013:]( Because quinoa isn’t actually a grain (it’s part of the goosefoot family, related to spinach and beets), the Orthodox Union certified it as kosher for Passover in 2013. [2018:]( Chipotle, a culinary controversy lightning rod itself for both [aesthetic]( and [health]( reasons, is currently [field-testing quinoa, mixed with lime juice and cilantro, as a rice alternative]( in its New York City test kitchen. It’s a sign that the famously change-resistant chain is willing to try novel strategies to interest new customers. The move also steps squarely into a very 21st century debate about food and authenticity, and an even more important consideration: Is a quinoa-stuffed burrito any good? Poll Quinoa is… [Click here to vote]( Fine ... if you're a rabbitOkay for salad splurge dayWorthy of worship! Growing pains A miracle crop? --------------------------------------------------------------- [Because of its ample protein and fiber content]( quinoa consumption has [expanded dramatically over the past 20 years](. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as [The Year of Quinoa]( noting that it has more nutrients per calorie than any other crop, making it a powerful tool in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. The hardy plant evolved in harsh high-altitude conditions and can handle vastly different environments, potentially being [grown in deserts]( or even irrigated with salt water. Million-dollar question Who controls quinoa? --------------------------------------------------------------- In 2013, the [Guardian purported to reveal the dark side]( of quinoa’s rise, claiming that higher prices left Andean farmers unable to purchase it for their own families. The piece—which might as well have been titled, “Go to hell, smug vegans”—[was largely debunked](. Quinoa wasn’t a big part of household spending, and the rise in prices had a much bigger beneficial effect by boosting per capita salaries. But the larger point remains: The global expansion of the crop, and the price fluctuations that have accompanied it, have created [new challenges for Andean farmers](. Does quinoa belong to the Andes, or to the world? The current battleground is DNA: Researchers around the world would love to experiment more with the thousands of different types of quinoa to develop hardier, more nutritious, and more adaptable hybrid strains, but Bolivia and Ecuador have maintained tight control of quinoa germplasm—the seeds that are necessary for breeding. (Bolivia is still smarting from an episode in the 1990s, when US researchers, using seeds from the Andes, patented a hybrid strain of quinoa for themselves.) “The issue goes much deeper than mere agricultural policy, especially for Bolivia’s quinoa farmers and indigenous majority,” [Lisa Hamilton wrote for Harper’s Magazine](. “For them, it’s about preserving the country’s identity and self-reliance. As one farmer explained to me, his machete hanging from his shoulder like a rifle, ‘Esto es sobre la soberanía alimentaria.’ This is about food sovereignty.” feud watch Quinoa rivalry --------------------------------------------------------------- Two of the world’s biggest quinoa producers don’t always get along. In 2015, Bolivian police appeared on TV, [setting fire to 23 tonnes of quinoa]( that had been seized at a checkpoint near the Peruvian border. A week later, local farmers demonstrated against Peru, accusing their larger neighbor of infiltrating its cheaper, factory-farmed quinoa into their local markets—deliberately mixing it with Bolivia’s superior, organically cultivated grain in an attempt to lower prices. Because science! The bitter truth --------------------------------------------------------------- Quinoa contains a toxic compound called saponins, a bitter component that’s used by the plant to ward off predators. It needs to be removed before consumption, which can be accomplished by polishing or washing the grain, which makes processing it expensive. (The polishing process also [reduces the fiber of the grain]( lowering its protein, vitamin, and mineral levels). Last year, scientists announced they’d mapped the genome of quinoa. By tinkering with the genetic makeup of the plant, a team of researchers based out of King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia say it’s possible to grow a strain of quinoa that’s easier to process. In doing so, scientists hope the cost of the grain [could one day be comparable to wheat](. Eventually, researchers hope to discover ways to grow the grain with a stockier plant (that won’t fall over as easily as it does currently) and find ways to grow it in different climates. But by finding a way to grow the plant without its saponins, scientists say the seeds will taste sweeter. If that happens, companies can spend less money and time removing the compound, making it a more economical staple crop. Pop quiz! Saponins removed from quinoa have commercial uses in all of the following except: Pharmaceutical steroidsMicrochip circuitsShampoos and cosmeticsSoaps and detergents Correct. Incorrect. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. The fine print In yesterday’s email about motivational posters, we asked about your mantra for today. Roughly 32% of you said “coffee.” ☕ Today’s email was written by [Annaliese Griffin]( and [Chase Purdy]( edited by [Jessanne Collins]( and [Adam Pasick]( and produced by [Luiz Romero](. 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