Quinoa biodiversity and sustainability for food security under climate change. A review

Abstract

Climate change is rapidly degrading the conditions of crop production. For instance, increasing salinization and aridity is forecasted to increase in most parts of the world. As a consequence, new stress-tolerant species and genotypes must be identified and used for future agriculture. Stress-tolerant species exist but are actually underutilized and neglected. Many stress-tolerant species are indeed traditional crops that are only cultivated by farmers at a local scale. Those species have a high biodiversity value. Besides, the human population will probably reach nine billion within coming decades. To keep pace with population growth, food production must increase dramatically despite the limited availability of cultivable land and water. Here, we review the benefits of quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa Willd., a seed crop that has endured the harsh bioclimatic conditions of the Andes since ancient times. Although the crop is still mainly produced in Bolivia and Peru, agronomic trials and cultivation are spreading to many other countries. Quinoa maintains productivity on rather poor soils and under conditions of water shortage and high salinity. Moreover, quinoa seeds are an exceptionally nutritious food source, owing to their high protein content with all essential amino acids, lack of gluten, and high content of several minerals, e.g., Ca, Mg, Fe, and health-promoting compounds such as flavonoids. Quinoa has a vast genetic diversity resulting from its fragmented and localized production over the centuries in the Andean region, from Ecuador to southern Chile, and from sea level to the altiplano. Quinoa can be adapted to diverse agroecological conditions worldwide. Year 2013 has therefore been declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Here, we review the main characteristics of quinoa, its origin and genetic diversity, its exceptional tolerance to drought and salinity, its nutritional properties, the reasons why this crop can offer several ecosystem services, and the role of Andean farmers in preserving its agrobiodiversity. Finally, we propose a schematic model integrating the fundamental factors that should determine the future utilization of quinoa, in terms of food security, biodiversity conservation, and cultural identity. (Résumé d'auteur

Mapping and linking supply- and demand-side measures in climate-smart agriculture. A review

“…Some of the crops that are more resilient to climate change are hitherto hardly used. For example, teff (Cheng et al 2015), amaranth (Alemayehu et al 2015), and quinoa (Ruiz et al 2014) can withstand some abiotic stresses such as high or low temperatures, or droughts. In addition, measures to increase agricultural productivity will be valuable in view of climate-induced yield losses, including nutrient management to close yield gaps ) and multiple cropping to close harvest gaps (Waha et al 2013;Wu et al 2014).…”

Calling for a reappraisal of the impact of quinoa expansion on agricultural sustainability in the Andean highlands

“…Recently published scientific papers add to these debates, warning against the pressure stemming from the agricultural intensification in the fragile Andean highlands (Jacobsen, 2011;Bazile, 2014), their wild biodiversity (Small, 2013(Small, , 2014, up to and including the equity and cultural identity of their local societies (Jacobsen, 2011;Ruiz et al, 2013).…”

“…For the economy and the image of Andean quinoa farms, the consequences of such a wrong appreciation could be quite detrimental. Consumers and decision makers in importing countries should be conscious that Andean peasant farmers are not just "guardians" of an ancestral folklore including the wealthy biodiversity of their native crop landraces (Ruiz et al, 2013). This simplistic concept of conservation of the agro-biodiversity cannot inspire a sustainable and economically viable agriculture.…”

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

“…Further increase in temperature and variability are projected that will impact water supplies and crop yields (Bradley et al 2006;Valdivia et al 2010;Seiler et al 2013). Some local crops and varieties may be key assets for adaptation because of their stress tolerance (Sanabria and L'Homme 2013;Ruiz et al 2014); however, others may be vulnerable to the rapidly changing agroecological conditions (Velasquez-Milla et al 2011). The importance of crop diversity for resilience and adaptation of farm systems to climate change is highlighted by numerous studies, particularly for its critical roles in spreading risk of harvest loss and enabling long-term crop adaptation (Pusadee et al 2009;Jackson et al 2010;Zimmerer 2010;Vigouroux et al 2011;Mijatović et al 2013; Thomas et al 2015).…”