Quinoa

Quinoa's reputation as a superfood has reshaped the livelihoods of Quechua farmers in the Andean highlands. Linda J. Seligmann travels to the Huanoquite region of Peru to examine the mixed results of worldwide demand for the grain. Her study centers on how Indigenous communities have responded to globalization, weighing the roles of food politics, development programs, and the region's agrarian past in shaping quinoa farming in Huanoquite today.

Seligmann also follows the people at the heart of these changes, from the quinoa brokers who work between growers and buyers to the men and women who must adapt to shifting positions and influence in their homes and communities. Through their experiences, the book shows how local life is being rearranged by new economic opportunities.

The final sections consider how nearby mining could affect residents' ability to grow quinoa and sustain themselves in their environment, along with the steps they are taking to resist these threats to their way of life. The book explains the history behind a popular health food and traces how Indigenous communities have engaged with the policies and politics surrounding a traditional, once minor crop that has become a global staple.