1013. The Bolivia Symposium—The Charms of Salar de Uyuni, Quinoa, and Llamas

JIRCAS is pleased to announce the joint symposium with the Embassy of Bolivia in Japan, titled "The Bolivia Symposium—The Charms of Salar de Uyuni, Quinoa, and Llamas", to be held on Monday, May 20, 2024, at the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Tokyo Headquarters Annex.

This symposium will also be held online via Zoom webinar. The year 2024 marks the 110th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bolivia and the 125th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Bolivia.

JIRCAS and other collaborators in Japan have been conducting the “SATREPS Super Food Bolivia” project with Bolivian counterparts since 2020. As part of this international research project, we have conducted research on the development and dissemination of resilience-enhancing production technology for quinoa, a highly nutritious crop native to the Andes of South America.

In this commemorative year for Japan-Bolivia relations, we will introduce the charms of quinoa, for its diversity in environmental adaptation and functionality as a health food. We will also present a study about the llama, a domesticated camelid animal essential for quinoa cultivation. A tasting of quinoa dishes and performances of South American music (Andean folklore) are planned for the latter half of the event.

We hope that this symposium would deepen exchanges between Japan and Bolivia and stimulate interest in the superfood quinoa and in Bolivian culture.

The Bolivia Symposium—The Charms of Salar de Uyuni, Quinoa, and Llamas

Organized by： Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Embassy of Bolivia in Japan
Date：2024-5-20(Mon) 14:00～17:00(JST) 
Place： JST Tokyo Headquarters Annex (K's Gobancho) + Online (7, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0076, Bolivia )
Event Page：https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/event/2024/e20240520
Registration Period：　2024-5-2(Thu) 15:00 - 2024-5-17(Fri) 16:00 (JST)

Contributors: FUJITA Yasunari, NAGATOSHI Yukari