Launch of the International Year of Quinoa UN celebrates Andean
“super food” New York, - Quinoa can play an important role in
eradicating hunger, malnutrition and poverty, FAO Director-
General José Graziano da Silva said today at the official launch
of the International Year of Quinoa at UN Headquarters. UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Evo Morales of Bolivia
and First Lady Nadine Heredia Alarcón de Humala of Peru were
among the high-level participants in a day-long series of events
celebrating the Andean "super food", a highly nutritious,
cereal-like crop that is rich in protein and micronutrients.
"Today we are here to recruit a new ally in the fight against
hunger and food insecurity --quinoa" said Graziano da Silva,
citing the crop’s unique nutritional characteristics and
adaptability. Quinoa is the only plant food that has all the
essential amino acids, trace elements and vitamins, and also has
the ability to adapt to different ecological environments and
climates. Resistant to drought, poor s