Earth Day is celebrated every ear on April 22. It is an international anniversary proposed as a day to think about the global environment. JIRCAS is pursuing research activities aimed at solving global food and environmental problems and we have released a video introducing our research on the miracle crop "quinoa".

Quinoa research is one of the research initiatives of JIRCAS which is expected to contribute in achieving food security and improved nutrition (SDG 2), and addressing desertification due to climate change (SDG 15).

Quinoa is a hot topic as a superfood because it is a very nutritious grain. And not only that. In fact, quinoa is a truly "miracle" crop that can be cultivated even in harsh environmental conditions where other crops cannot grow, including in areas with annual rainfall of 200 mm or less and high soil salinity, such as around the Salar de Uyuni, a salt lake in Bolivia.

With the aim of adapting the potential of quinoa's "miracle" to the arid regions of the world through research, JIRCAS is conducting an international research collaboration with institutes in Bolivia and Japan.

In this video, we introduce the progress of international joint research efforts in Bolivia, along with the scenery around Salar de Uyuni where quinoa grows vigorously and beautifully.
 

Reference
JIRCAS Online Open House 2021

Contributor: NAGATOSHI Yukari (Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division)