Quinoa4Med

Synopsis

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd.), a pseudo-cereal originally cultivated in the Andean region, has gained attention throughout the Mediterranean because it yields well even on marginal soils and is tolerant to drought, soil salinity and other abiotic stresses. Moreover, it is considered among the 20 world’s healthiest foods, as its grains contain a balanced composition of minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, fats, and high-quality, gluten-free proteins with a balanced amino acid profile. The Q4M project for the first time brings together scientific partners and societal stakeholders from four Mediterranean countries to promote quinoa cultivation and valorization in an integrated and systemic approach. Noteworthy, the introduction of novel quinoa breeding lines will be a diversification of current cropping systems aiming at stabilizing overall harvests, recovering and/or enriching soils and in general, improve year-round crop production for food and income security of smallholders.