An experiment to export organically grown quinoa that began in 1998 with 298 indigenous farmers in the Ecuadorian highlands near the city of Riobamba has grown to be one of the most successful development projects in South America. In addition to the grain quinoa, the project will also include the bean Andean lupin, and the grain amaranth. The effort will continue to focus on food products that fed the Incas for thousands of years up to the grandparents of the current indigenous population. In the last two generations their diet has changed to processed and “fast” foods.

Four organizations have combined forces for this project: The People’s Educational Radio of Ecuador (ERPE), the German organic certification organization Bio Control System (BCS), the United States importer The Andean Partnership (parent company of Inca Organics), and the Canadian Development Fund of Ecuador (FECD). ERPE is the coordinating and teaching body of the group. BCS controls the organic certification process to the strict standards of the European Common Market, and FECD has provided funds for capital projects such as the post harvest cleaning and packaging facility run by ERPE. The Andean Partnership pre-pays for the quinoa so that ERPE is able to purchase quinoa when harvested, not when shipped. The Andean Partnership also provides an international market for all food products.

In 1999 the development project grew from the original 298 families to 580 families with a total of 274 hectares of land in 34 small communities. This resulted in 57 tons of quinoa being exported to the United States. This year 1,200 families will export about 150 tons of organic quinoa. Plans are to include 2,500 families in 2001 and finally 4,000 families in 2002. If the 2002 goal is met, 95% of the indigenous families living in 145 communities will harvest 900 tons of the organic products quinoa, Andean lupin and amaranth. 1,636 hectares will be under organic cultivation and stretch from the high Andes cities of Cuenca in the south of Ecuador to just south of Quito in the central section of the country. This will be approximately 2/3rds of the country running on the north-south line of the Andes mountains. The first Ecuadorian Organization of Organic Producers will be founded next year.

In general the indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian highlands are poor, live on unproductive eroded landholdings, and suffer from higher incidences of malnutrition than the general population. The livelihood of these communities is based on agricultural production of traditional crops such as potatoes, corn, and the bean haba. Production is generally low and some of the farmers have used chemical fertilizers and pesticides to maintain production. What little they do produce has low value in the national marketplace. The farmers who currently benefit from the project have a typical income of $227 a year. ERPE and The Andean Partnership estimate that this income was increased over 50% to $357 a year for participants in 1999. This income generation will improve in the coming years.

The introduction of organic agriculture to these communities has been facilitated by years of consciousness raising about the dangers of misuse of agrochemicals through radio programs run by ERPE. ERPE, with the help of BCS and the other organizations, has an experimental organic farm that serves as a demonstration and teaching tool. The current economic crisis in Ecuador has also helped promoters of organic agriculture by making agrochemicals too expensive for most small indigenous farmers. Also land that has not been cultivated for over 15 years is now being used.

Finally, organic agriculture builds on a cultural base of environmentally friendly agriculture practiced by the Inca ancestors of today’s indigenous. The farmers are participating in the rescue of their culture through the rediscovery and implementation of farming techniques once commonly practiced by their grandparents. In addition, ERPE and The Andean Partnership have a purchasing strategy that returns 1/3 of the organic products harvested under the project to the producing indigenous family. This combats the malnutrition of the indigenous and is returning them to the high protein and highly nutritious diet of their ancestors.