International Year of the Quinoa IYQ-2013

The UN recently deemed 2013 the “International Year of Quinoa.” Agenda Item 25 in the 66th session of the UN General Assembly calls for everyone everywhere to “focus world attention on the role that quinoa biodiversity can play, owing to the nutritional value of quinoa, in providing food security and nutrition and in the eradication of poverty.” The UN resolution goes on to “call upon Governments and relevant regional and international organizations to make voluntary contributions and lend other forms of support to the Year.” 

The year 2013 has been declared "The International Year of the Quinoa" (IYQ), recognizing the Andean indigenous peoples, who have maintained, controlled, protected and preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations thanks to their traditional knowledge and practices of living well in harmony with mother earth and nature.

The International Year of the Quinoa (IYQ) was proposed by the government of Bolivia, with support from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, and FAO, and approved by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011. The Conference took note of the exceptional nutritional qualities of quinoa, its adaptability to different agro-ecological floors and its potential contribution in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

The vision

Quinoa is recognized and accepted around the world as a natural food resource with high nutritive value of Andean origin becoming a high quality food for health and food security, for present and future generations.

The objective

The objective of the IYQ Plan is to focus world attention on the role that quinoa´s biodiversity and nutritional value plays, in providing food security and nutrition, the eradication of poverty in support of the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

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