The Quinoa Bust - The Making and Unmaking of an Andean Miracle Crop - Emma Mcdonell

This ethnographic study traces quinoa's transformation from humble Andean staple to global development miracle, and reveals the unintended consequences that followed. Based on longitudinal research in Puno, Peru, the world's primary quinoa production region, author Emma McDonell explores how efforts to counteract food homogenization, empower small-scale farmers, and adapt agriculture to climate change generated new forms of economic and social oppression. A critical examination of how well-intentioned sustainable development initiatives can produce ambivalent results, The Quinoa Bust serves as a cautionary tale for an era when forgotten foods are increasingly positioned as solutions to global challenges.