Member countries of the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) meet to discuss quinoa’s role in the eradication of hunger
As part of the celebrations that mark the International Year of Quinoa 2013, Uruguay hosted an international seminar on this nutritious crop. Entitled, "Quinoa: an ally in the eradication of hunger", the seminar took place in Montevideo on 27 June at the LAIA headquarters. Participants included experts from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Argentina, among others.
Eradicating hunger is fundamental to the work of FAO and its member countries and represents the first of the internationally-agreed Millennium Development Goals. Quinoa is one of a number of forgotten crops that can, nevertheless, play a significant role in achieving the goal of eradicating hunger due to its excellent nutritional qualities and adaptability to diverse climatic conditions. As Salomón Salcedo, Technical Secretary of the International Year of Quinoa 2013 and Senior Policy Officer of FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC), said "quinoa can play an important role in the eradication of hunger, malnutrition and poverty due to its high nutritional value that can contribute to the food and nutritional security of our countries."
The discussion aimed at promoting the potential that this ancient Andean crop has on regional and global food security. It also drew attention to the importance of partnerships in promoting this important crop and analyzing the commercial opportunities surrounding quinoa that are emerging in the context of LAIA and beyond.
For more information see:
Quinua: un aliado para la erradicación del hambre
Media contacts:
Reina Penyy (LAIA): prensa(at)aladi.org, (598) 24101121 int. 2222
Rodrigo Flores (FAO) rodrigo.flores(at)fao.org or Rlc-quinua(at)fao.org, (562) 29232248
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