'Supergrain' leads to conflict in Peru

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The price of the "supergrain" quinoa went through the roof in the winter and so did tempers, according to police in the Peruvian state of Oruro. At least 30 people were reported injured during a fight where rocks and dynamite were used as two communities fought over land to grow the grain. Farmland in Oruro is owned by communities, not by individuals.

According to Associated Press, Bolivia produces almost half the world's quinoa and the price has nearly tripled in the last five years. The Oruro fight is not just about the money, though. It's also about a land rush, wild-west style, with climate change as a factor. Because of warming trends, land that used to be too cold for quinoa is now less subject to frequent frosts. Quinoa grows at altitudes of over 13,000 feet in the Andes and can handle frosts at all times except flowering. Quinoa is prized because of its high nutritive values compared to cereals. BF