Kia Pacha’s products are currently sold in 12 locations in Lima, Peru, and Alex will use the research fund to scale up the enterprise for a launch into European markets.
Alex was inspired to found the startup after volunteering for Bioversity International in Peru. He worked closely with Peruvian farmers, and came to understand both their struggle against poverty and the tremendous benefits of their eco-friendly crops.
‘There’s a common misconception that the rising global demand for quinoa is bad for Peruvian farmers – that they lose out because their staple food is being purchased by international markets, so they cannot eat it themselves,’ stated Alex.
‘There was never much evidence for this. Quinoa isn’t part of the staple diet for most Peruvians – it’s popular now among some urban consumers who are generally not poor, just the same as it is in the UK or America, but quinoa consumption was dying out in Peru many years before its rise to international fame. It’s certainly not the bulk of the Peruvian diet.’
Alexander explained that at the peak of quinoa prices, smallholder farmers were able to earn an ‘unprecedented’ income, which meant they could also afford to eat a more varied diet while continuing to eat quinoa regularly. However, there is an under reported danger caused by the rising international demand for the Peruvian superfood: the threat it represents to biodiversity.
