Los Angeles

Los Angeles de Colta is an anejo or small village of chozas (packed dirt houses with straw roofs), a small school and a church. It is the home of 59 families. The residents are Puruha, an indigenous culture that predates the Incan Empire. Nestled in the Colta valley, Los Angeles is an excellent example of the numerous communities now returning to producing traditional heirloom crops of the Incas - Quinoa, Lupin and Amaranth - in the Andean highlands. All photos shown in this article were taken in January 2001.

This village is in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador. The province has the highest percentage of indigenous in that country. As progress influenced the indigenous, the residents of Los Angeles had turned to raising oats, barley, potatoes, and corn for their livelihoods. Unfortunately the farmers' fortunes were few, due to the poor growth conditions of the arid terrain and depressed prices.

Newly Sprouted Quinoa

Thanks to the Heirloom Quinoa Project, an international development project begun in 1998, the villagers of Los Angeles now enjoy significant economic growth while rediscovering their Andean ancestry. The Project is a cooperative effort of four international organizations: The People's Educational Radio of Ecuador (ERPE), Germany's Bio Control System (BCS), the Canadian Development Fund and Chicago-based Inca Organics. The goals of the project are to provide adequate income for the indigenous farmers, teach organic gardening, and promote traditional nutritional food products both for exportation and consumption.

ERPE acts as the primary coordinator and facilitator of the project, providing technical help to farmers in both Spanish and Quechua (the ancient indigenous language). It also manages an experimental farm that teaches organic gardening techniques such as composting and worm farming. BCS controls the organic certification of the heirloom crops, while the Canadian Development Fund provides capital for harvesting equipment. Chicago-based Inca Organics provides international marketing of the finished products.

ERPE recording a radio show

Beginning in 1998 twelve families in Los Angeles cultivated quinoa in the traditional organic way for the project. This proved very successful and their incomes were roughly 50% more than that of other farmers. The next year thirty-six families raised heirloom quinoa and in 2000 fifty-one families participated in the project.

But, the project has more far-reaching goals than just developing a thriving economic base for indigenous communities. The indigenous diet has rapidly changed from one of traditional foodstuffs to one of processed, less nutritious food. Malnutrition is a serious problem. In order promote proper nutrition; the Project buys only two-thirds of each family's crop. The other third is then available to the family for their consumption. All of these traditional crops are highly nutritious and protein-rich, including quinoa, lupin, and amaranth. Help is offered to the women to teach them how to cook these traditional foods. Additionally, a natural medicine program has begun.

Marjorie Leventry with villagers

In the past the indigenous were wary of outside help. ERPE has gained their confidence from 20 years of educational broadcasting in their language of Quechua. The indigenous have learned to trust those who are often their only link outside their village. . The Heirloom Quinoa Project is based on environmentally friendly agriculture, nutrition, and medicine practiced by the Inca ancestors of today’s indigenous in Chimborazo. Supported by the four international organizations, it is recognized as one of the most successful development projects in South America. This year over 2000 families in hundreds of villages like Los Angeles de Colta are participating throughout several provinces of Ecuador.