International Quality Pressures and Banned Pesticides in Peruvian Quinoa

The objective of this article is twofold: 1) evaluate the relationship between international pressures and the national prioritization of quinoa as a key export commodity, and the consequent diminishing of cultivation and crops quality, with health and ecological risks that ends affecting the Peruvian national population, and 2) analyze if internationally banned pesticides are present in the quinoa that Peruvian are consuming. Design/methodology/approach: The first objective was achieved by data analysis of Peruvian quinoa exports and production levels. To reach the second objective, the study relied on a lab trial over four brands of packed quinoa purchased in supermarkets from metropolitan Lima on April 2020, January and November 2021 (during and after state authorities prohibited the use of Methamidophos). Findings: The study finds a strong correlation between the increase of the international demand for quinoa and the decrease of the quality of land-use and the products associated to the intensive use of pesticides. The research also found that even if companies stopped using Methamidophos after the ban, they used other toxic pesticides prohibited internationally, risking the food security of Peruvian consumers. Originality/value of the paper: To our best of knowledge, this is the first study that analyze the effect of the use of banned pesticides on Peruvian quinoa through the pressures to meet the international demand.