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The Quinoa Bust: The Making and Unmaking of an Andean Miracle Crop

On this edition of Your Call, anthropologist Dr. Emma McDonell discusses her new book, The Quinoa Bust: The Making and Unmaking of an Andean Miracle Crop.

Though quinoa rose to global stardom as a sustainable development opportunity for rural communities long devastated by migration, civil war, and state neglect, the reality of its rise is much more complicated. Focusing on this trend in Puno, Peru – the main production area of the world’s chief quinoa exporting country – this conversation explores the cautionary tale of quinoa and the dangers of overpromising the potential of so-called “miracle crops” even with the best of intentions.

Guests:

Dr. Emma McDonell, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Malihe Razazan is the senior producer of KALW's daily call-in program, Your Call.