Lorax Community

Native tribes of North America are very nearly lost entirely, largely due to rapid spread of imperialism and corporate consumerism. Sadly, indigenous people of Bolivia are facing a similar plight thanks to a popular "health food" fad.

 Quinoa Grain: 

• Prices are at an all-time high, as foodies around the world seem to have developed a taste for this 'miracle grain of the Andes.'
• In Lima (Peru), quinoa now sells at a higher price per pound than flesh foods, other animal-derived products, and far less healthful hybrid/modified grains.
• Once a nourishing staple for the insolvent peoples of Peru and Bolivia, this protein-rich grain is now far too expensive for them to afford to feed their families.
• As demand continues to rise, pressure is on to transform a once diverse variety of crops into quinoa monoculture.

 If you must use quinoa, please be sure to buy from truly sustainable sources in locations other than the Andes. We recently learned of quinoa production in Canada, and are continuing our quest to become better informed about alternative resources for this seed grain. Until a time when better resources become quite common, we are more than happy to stick with buckwheat and other healthful foodstuffs grown on U.S. soil which easily suit similar purposes.

Please continue to learn about this issue by taking a moment to read through these related articles:

via Mother Jones - Quinoa: Good, Evil, or Just Really Complicated?
via The Guardian - Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa?