Quinoa the superfood: Opportunity for smallholder farmers in the Mediterranean region [23.03.22]
The frugal pseudocereal quinoa is the focus of a new collaborative project at the University of Hohenheim. With suitable cultivars, smallholder farmers in Mediterranean countries could not only secure their own livelihood but also make an important contribution to societal development. As part of the PRIMA funding initiative, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is financing the Hohenheim cooperation partners to the tune of almost EUR 600,000.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is considered to be one of the healthiest foods in the world because its grains contain a balanced composition of minerals, vitamins, fiber, fats, and high-quality gluten-free proteins with all the essential amino acids.
In addition, this pseudo-cereal, which originated in the Andes region, is very frugal and tolerant of drought, higher soil salinity and other stress factors. Even on what are known as marginal soils, whose cultivation is otherwise uninteresting for farmers, it still generates good yields. This is one of the reasons why it is attracting increasing attention throughout the Mediterranean.
In the collaborative project "Quinoa as a climate-smart crop diversification option for higher income generation from marginal lands in the Mediterranean" (Quinoa4Med), nine partners from research and industry from Germany and five Mediterranean countries have now joined forces: Headed up by Junior Professor Dr. Sandra Schmöckel from the Departmentof Physiology of Yield Stability, they aim to advance the breeding, cultivation and utilization of quinoa in the Mediterranean region. In real laboratories, scientific results are tested in practice and their success, environmental impact, sustainability, and cost-benefit ratio are evaluated.
The thematic spectrum of the project begins with the breeding optimization of climate-resistant plants. The planned introduction of a quinoa cultivation system will benefit smallholder farmers and increase their income; new and waste-free value chains will empower women as well as youth in the labor market, and will drive societal developments. Women's initiatives in the Maghreb and celiac patient organizations are involved, as are regional companies, NGOs, and international quinoa initiatives.
The ultimate goal is to promote the production of gluten-free foods, non-food products such as animal feed, biochar and cosmetics, as well as other entrepreneurial activities. The latter will enjoy fresh stimulus through cooperation with the Chair of Innovation Management. The "Innov8Now" online course developed by Prof. Dr. Bernd Ebersberger and Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka has been translated into English, French and Arabic for this purpose, thus multiplying its reach.
Project details
- Title: "Quinoa as a climate-smart crop diversification option for higher income generation from marginal lands in the Mediterranean" – Quinoa4Med
- Funding amount: EUR 1,747,204 in total, including EUR 598,641 just for Hohenheim
- Funding institution Germany: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) funding initiative
- Project duration: 1 June 2022-31 May 2025
- Project participants: Jun. Prof. Dr. Sandra Schmöckel (coordination), Prof. Dr. Karl Schmid (innovative quinoa breeding), Research Center for Health Sciences – One Health (project management and dissemination) and 8 further (6 research and 2 industrial) partners from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France and Spain.
Contact
Jun. Prof. Dr. Sandra Schmöckel, University of Hohenheim, Department of Physiology of Yield Stability,
+49 711 459-23806, sandra.schmoeckel@uni-hohenheim.de
Laila Eleraky and Dr. Irene Huber, Research Centre for Health Sciences – One Health (project management and network);
+49 711 459-24615; fzg@uni-hohenheim.de
Heavyweights of research
The series “Heavyweights of Research" presents outstanding research projects with a financial volume of at least 350,000 euros for research requiring equipment or 150,000 euros for research without specialized equipment.
