Reviewing the situation of quinoa production in southern Bolivia, Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390) argues that the booming export market has a negative effect on the environment and on the home consumption of quinoa, thereby leading to an environmental disaster in the region. In view of the scarcity of scientific knowledge on the rapid social and environmental dynamics in the region, we consider that Jacobsen’s review misrepresents the situation of quinoa production in southern Bolivia. Specifically, we argue that (i) the data presented by Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390) do not support any drop in quinoa crop yield supposed to reflect soil degradation and (ii) his demonstration regarding home consumption of quinoa is ill‐founded from both a nutritional and a cultural point of view. We suggest that the diffusion of the arguments exposed by Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390), because of their flaws, might have strong negative impacts on those concerned with sustainable food production and fair‐trade with developing countries. We conclude that, rather than reinforced agro‐technical controls on local farmers, the rising competition in the international quinoa market requires a shift towards an ethical economy and ethical research cooperation with quinoa producers.

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La relation complexe entre l'é levage et la forê t en Amazonie bré silienne : une approche par la modé lisation multi-agents Ré suméEn Amazonie, l'élevage bovin contribue à la construction d'un nouveau territoire du fait et en dépit des impacts qu'il a sur un écosystème forestier dont la préservation fait la quasi-unanimité. Il existe en effet un profond fossé entre d'une part des acteurs locaux, pionniers à la recherche de meilleures conditions de vie, pour lesquels la forêt est une simple réserve de fertilité et, d'autre part, la communauté internationale soucieuse des impacts environnementaux de cette déforestation à grande échelle. Nous avons conçu un système multi-agents (SMA) qui permet de rendre compte des stratégies des éleveurs et agriculteurs qui sont les acteurs clés de cette déforestation, et d'en simuler les impacts. Nos résultats éclairent d'un jour nouveau les questions et enjeux relatifs à l'intensification agroécologique et l'élaboration de politiques publiques durables pour le développement des fronts pionniers sur la Transamazonienne. Nos travaux ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives pour le partage d'information entre leurs diverses parties prenantes. Bien que conçu pour représenter des dynamiques locales, le modèle apparaît suffisamment générique pour être appliqué à d'autres situations amazoniennes. AbstractThe complex relationship between cattle ranching and the forest in Brazilian Amazonia. A multiagent modelling approachIn Amazonia, cattle ranching plays a particular role in the construction of new territory, especially because it affects the Amazon Rainforest, the conservation of which represents very high stakes. There is a wide and obvious gap between on the one hand local actors, pioneers seeking better living conditions and for whom the natural forest is perceived as a simple reserve of fertility and, on the other hand, the international community concerned by environmental impact. We describe several versions of a multi-agent model and their results as information sharing between stakeholders as along with new research questions regarding agro-ecological intensification and the drawing up of durable public policies. Although it has been designed to represent local dynamics, this model could probably be used in other Amazonian areas.