via Dan Charles (@nprDanCharles):
In recent years quinoa – a grain – has surged in popularity. 2013 was declared the “International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations. Now the Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) has produced a major publication that compiles scientific studies and articles to explore the potential contribution of quinoa, as well as limitations in regard to its cultivation. The report may serve to promote quinoa’s consumption in different parts of the world.
Because of its nutritional qualities, its diversity and its resistance to drought and cold, quinoa has been “identified as an important alternative to contribute to global food security, especially in areas where the population has no access to adequate sources of protein, or where there are environmental constraints to food crop production.”
Read the full report here.