The United Arab Emirates, after successful field trials in 2014, is working with its farmers to establish quinoa as a commercial crop on the Arabian peninsula, says Food Navigator. The goal of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water is to achieve sustainable domestic production of the crop, which originated in the Andes, by 2021, says the news site. Nutrient-rich quinoa is drought tolerant and grows well on poor soils, says the Whole Grains Council. Food Navigator says the UAE project now will focus on matching quinoa varieties to salinity and temperature levels in the country and educating growers about the skills needed to grow the crop.
Quinoa has soared in prices as it has become a more popular food in recent years. Last year, FERN published an in-depth article on the intellectual property battle over quinoa seed with Harper’s magazine.