Holistic value chain approach for NUS promotion

The project linked "aspects often dealt with separately by R&D, such as genetic diversity, selection, cultivation, harvest, value addition, marketing, and final use". The driving idea behind this holistic approach is that there are often bottlenecks to greater use (and conservation) of a crop at multiple points in the value chain, so engaging in only one activity, such as breeding, has limited impact. It is often necessary to overcome cultivation and processing constraints, as well as to raise demand for such neglected and underutilized species through marketing interventions.

The project documented traditional recipes for Andean grain preparation and worked with professional chefs to develop new recipes that would appeal to young people.

An impact assessment is included in the paper that demonstrates a benefit of the project in terms of participating farmers allocating greater area to Andean grains, growing more varieties and perceiving greater nutritional and income benefits as compared to non-participating farmers.

The article will appear in next months issue of Sustainability journal but has come online today (open-access).

Related Publications

A Holistic Approach to Enhance the Use of Neglected and Underutilized Species: The Case of Andean Grains in Bolivia and Peru. 2014. Padulosi, S., Amaya, K., Jäger, M., Gotor, E., Rojas, W. and Valdivia, R.