The rising price of quinoa and its effects in South America

The other day, an article by Daniel Strassberg in "Republik" included a passing reference to how the growing global popularity of quinoa has driven up prices so much that Andean quinoa farmers can no longer afford to buy their own crop. Curious, I found an article in the "Guardian" that said this wasn't true, and I posted it as a comment. Then Sabin Bieri of the University of Bern posted a link to her ongoing research on such issues. The farmers are actually doing quite well, but they've stopped eating quinoa because it's seen as "poor people's food". It's the South American urban poor who have suffered from the higher prices. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 26 January 2023)

 

Photograph: Tomas Munita/ITC. From the linked article in the "Guardian".