This 2015 Master thesis submitted to obtain a Master’s degree in Culture and Development Studies from the Katholiek Universiteit Leuven (KUL-Belgium) analyses power relations in the re-introduction of quinoa as a food security solution and economic crop in Yunchará (South Bolivia). Farmers’ main reason to cultivate it is the high selling value.
Of course, quinoa is starting to become part of the diet of the producer’s family and is consumed for lunch at schools; but it remains positioned as a commodity and niche food, due to its high selling price and limited availability to buy locally produced quinoa.
The impact of the NGO Esperanza Bolivia on Yunchara’s quinoa production and commercialisation could be set in three main axes: the lead and execution of the Esperanza Bolivia project for “Food Security and Sustainable Economic Security in the Highlands and Central Valley in Tarija”, the introduction of a new economic activity and the influence on the beneficiaries lifestyle and personal development.