Last Updated on May 26, 2016
The Mother Grain is a documentary project about the rapid rise in popularity of quinoa and its impact on the local Aymara and Quechua farmers in Bolivia.
The ancestors of the Aymara and Quechua used quinoa extensively in traditional ceremonial practices which led the Spanish Conquistadors to suppress growth of the sacred grain. However, the colonial mission was never a complete success. The cultivation and honoring of the Quinoa continued, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Today, the popularity of quinoa is making a comeback of sorts among vegetarians and vegans, health food advocates and anyone who wants to get away from the abominable western diet to which we’ve become so accustomed.
The Mother Grain looks at how the increased global demand of Quinoa is affecting the indigenous farmers who grow it.
The film can be watched online in its entirety at Culture Unplugged.
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