The United Nations declared 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa in the hopes that the grain is the answer to world hunger. Now considered as a healthy food, quinoa (pronounced as keen-wah) has increasingly become a popular food staple in the United States of America especially after popular personalities such as actress Gwyneth Paltrow and mega host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey endorsed the lowly grain in their blogs and television shows. Health enthusiasts consider it a super-food considering the many benefits one can derive from it. Quinoa is a good protein source as compared with other grains, which also contains “all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development” (Sherwin). It has also been touted as the ideal food for astronauts who stay in space for long periods of time. Quinoa may be used as the main ingredient for lots of food variations such as burgers, pancakes, porridge, salads, puddings, and cookies, among others. It can also be eaten as replacement for rice, side dishes, or as main course. Because of the high quality protein that it contains, quinoa is a good source of magnesium, iron, and dietary fiber. The World Health Organization even claims that quinoas’ protein content is comparable with that of milk (Sherwin).
Despite the high hopes for quinoa in fighting world hunger, it appears that debates are ongoing on the real effect of the high demand for quinoa in other countries, foremost of which is America. The passion for quinoa has risen over the years such that the once plain and unknown lowly grain has become the most sought after grain next to rice and wheat. As the demand for it increases, Bolivia has risen to task by increasing production to ensure that America and other countries that have a need for it have enough supply of the healthy grain. The economic results are looking good in the sense that those who previously opted to live in the urban areas of Bolivia have now decided to go back to the rural side to plant quinoa. The citizens who once were experiencing poverty are seeing positive growth in their finances based on financial returns on quinoa farming (Sherwin). Development seems to be underway for the country that once experienced problems with how to keep their economy afloat.
However, while it may appear that this presents an opportunity for Bolivia to increase its revenues and improve the country’s economic standing, it also presents challenges and risks to the nation’s economy and the people’s living standards if they will be able to maintain or keep up with the need for the quinoa. In assessing the kind of development that this opportunity presents for the country, the first thing that would come to mind is that this is an economic development that can help increase the country’s economic status in the world. But it is more of a question of sustainability development because the huge issue here is if Bolivia can keep up with the global need for quinoa. Therefore, Bolivia must step back and assess the effects of producing quinoa in huge volumes to avoid a possible commodity crisis.
Bolivia and Its Economy
Bolivia is a South American country that thrives on agriculture as the number one source of income and livelihood. Economic growth is centralized in the urban areas, which makes it difficult for farmers to market their products because most dwellers would rather live in urban areas than in the rural areas or other remote areas. A huge number of the population has a preference for urban living, although studies reveal that 60% of Bolivians still live below poverty level, which makes the country the poorest in South America or one of the underdeveloped countries in the geographical location. United Nations experts define underdevelopment as not having the capacity to make use of the country’s natural resources or the inability to maximize the resources’ potential. A country that remains underdeveloped is “one in which per capita real income is low when compared with the per capita real income of the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Western Europe” (Guru).
Underdevelopment equates to many aspects that determine whether a country can be considered progressive or not. This includes poverty, corruption, lack of manufacturing base, poor leadership, and the role of the United States in the country. Bolivia has always been focusing on singular commodities instead of diversifying their products to enjoy a bigger market. The country has also been ravaged by political instability and corruption, which hindered the growth of Bolivia’s economy. Although the country has never experienced any problems with overpopulation, the problem is more the opposite, which is low population growth and low life expectancy for the people. Because of this, industries never really thrived as there is always a constant need for people to fill in vacant jobs, which is the reason why Bolivians welcome having major exportation opportunities through quinoa.
Looming Quinoa Crisis
Bolivia has been suffering from malnutrition problems for years now, although the lowly quinoa has also been the source of nutrition for the people. Being discovered by other countries as a healthy alternative to different food products may have paved the way for Bolivia’s perceived road to development considering that even Evo Morales, the country’s president, endorses the planting and growing of quinoa for domestic and international consumption by offering “a $10 million loan facility” (Sherwin) to its farmers. However, the reality is also that the crop can also thrive in wet climates, thus, other countries, including those in Europe and North America, can also grow their own supplies for their personal needs. At the moment, export of quinoa may be a good option for the country but soon, because of the huge demand for it, Bolivia has to compete with international prices and could lead to Bolivians having to buy their own quinoa produce instead. The huge global quinoa market is pushing the increase for quinoa food commodities to rise as well, which leads the country to either buying their own quinoa products from other local producers or moving to buying cheaper, processed foods alternatives. Ironically, the country that produces quinoa is the one that experiences chronic malnutrition signs as they cannot avail themselves of their own products for their own personal allotments (Sherwin).
What Determines a Country’s Development or Underdevelopment
Poverty is not the sole determinant factor that points out whether a country is developed or not. To be called under-developed, a country must have adequate natural resources, but which are under-utilized. Even if a country has plenty of natural resources, but it remains untouched or not maximized, then a country will remain poor and possibly, under-developed. In the case of Bolivia, it remains under-developed considering the undeveloped roads and infrastructure that could have helped in marketing quinoa. This fact has kept the farmers from marketing their products locally (Frank 10). However, with the visit of the World Bank in the country, the need for “economic growth and food security” (Watanabe) was recognized, thus, plans to help promote the local products on a national and international level is underway. This includes the production of quinoa to help supplement the crop requirements. Despite these initiatives, the political economy of Bolivia remains weak because of the country’s focus on mono-cropping. The country has a history of focusing on single crops at a time, which appears to be profitable for a while, but one that could crumble anytime, especially when other countries learn the technology of growing the same crops. Instead, Bolivia should focus on multi-cropping to ensure that even if the country sees the possibility of development through quinoa production, it gains a more stable footing when other agricultural products such as potatoes and wheat are also given importance. Additionally, continually planting quinoa without consideration to crop rotation harms the environment and the soil component, which could lead to soil depletion in the long-term. When this happens, quinoa production will be affected and Bolivia goes back to having economic problems (Watanabe).
The good thing about this is the president is also aware of the possible repercussions of single commodity planting and how this is an unsustainable method of farming. Bolivia must focus on diversifying its quinoa consumers considering that at the moment, the U.S. is its number one importer at 52% of their total production. If the country decides to expand its market to other countries in Asia or Middle Eastern countries, then Bolivia is also protecting its economy (Rostow 2) in case America decides to lower its quinoa importation considering that quinoa can also be cultivated in the U.S. (Watanabe).
Bolivia is an under-developed country considering the manner at which it decides on the use of its agricultural farmlands. While quinoa production promotes economic growth at the moment, the question of sustainability is still very much apparent (Rostow 2). Other countries are beginning to cultivate their own lands to produce quinoa (DePillis) and while Bolivia is one of the highest producers of the crop right now, it is able to increase the price of quinoa in the international market, but to the detriment of the Bolivian locals because even in their own country, the once cheap and easy to produce quinoa is becoming an expensive commodity.
Works Cited
DePillis, Lydia. Quinoa Should be Taking Over the World. This Is Why It Isn’t. 2013. Web. 13 Mar 2016. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/07/11/quinoa-should-be-taking-over-the-world-this-is-why-it-isnt/>.
Frank, Andre Gunder. Latin America: Underdevelopment or Revolution. 1966. Web. 4 Mar 2016. <https://webfiles.uci.edu/schofer/classes/2013soc2/readings/7%20e%20O%20Frank%201969%20Underdevelopment.pdf>.
Guru, Supriya. What is the Meaning of Underdevelopment. N.d. Web. 4 Mar 2016. <http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/economics/what-is-the-meaning-of-under-development/38234/>.
Rostow, A.A. 1959. The Stages of Economic Growth. The Economic History Review. 12(1), 1-17. Print.
Sherwin, Adam. The Food Fad that’s Starving Bolivia. 2011. Web. 5 Mar 2016. <http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/the-food-fad-thats-starving-bolivia-2248932.html>.
Watanabe, Hayato. Bolivia’s Quinoa Politics. 2014. Web. 5 Mar 2016. <http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2014/08/01/bolivias-quinoa-politics>.
