Quinoa industry development in China

Abstract

Quinoa, a food crop native to South America, is now gaining much attention in China. Quinoa was introduced to China in the 1960s; however, it was only distributed in scattered districts until 2008. The foundation of the Quinoa Committee of the Crop Science Society of China (QCCSSC) in 2015 has promoted the combination of policy-makers, researchers, manufacturers, and farmers related to quinoa. In 2018, the harvest area of quinoa in China increased to nearly 12,000 ha, with a total production of 20,000 tons distributed in 24 provinces. Through the collaboration of enterprise and research institutes, quinoa cultivation techniques were integrated into different eco-regions, and a series of stabilized breeding materials was gained. Additionally, 14 varieties were certified by provincial or municipal cultivar registration committees. Quinoa products, such as noodles, liquor, and yogurt, were developed based on nutritional and technological research. Thanks to the promulgation of the first Chinese industrial standard for quinoa, quinoa products are now available both in online shops and offline supermarkets. Above all, China is undergoing an adjustment of sustainable agricultural policy and increasing demands for more nutritional and diversified foods, demonstrating a great prospect for quinoa.