Quinoa: Bad for the Planet? | Talk Back | BFD | TakePart TV

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1. Since I recently learned that quinoa is the crop that NASA intends to grow first if we ever get to Mars, this video raises questions about "exporting monocultures" to another planet. But it's not like there is many protien sources on Mars. And quinoa does grow in the most adverse situations (Such as in salt flats.)
2. I bet a pound of beef is environmentally more destructive than a pound of Peruvian quinoa.
3. Grow hemp for bio diesel, problem solved.
4. These assholes, think that quinoa is the problem, not the monoculture in their country? this has to be an american thing, to pint the finger on other countries problem, not knowing that the sources are them, not knowing how to fix problems in their own country, "sadly go until the price is good". Dicks. Talk about policolture and solutions, how natural way of living can feed us all and elimintate starvation everywhere. Talk about nature that is free, and comes before us. That we are not the only species on the planet and we are destroying everything else, tell about quinoa as soap that you can wash with, everything you need, nature has, and for free. The problem is not other country trying to survive this massive strategic bullshit, that is killink thousands of people. The problem lays in the way of thinking " it's happening there, then it's not my problem "
5. solution. build soil microbes, microorganisms. compost tea. easy & practically free. 5 gal bucket, spring or rain water, simple sugar: blackstrapp molasses, some people just use cane sugar, can add other things too.. alfalfa. aerate with aquarium pump for liek 2 days. boom there ya go use full strength or dilute with more water.
6. Carbon footprint is not the only consideration in choosing your foods on a moral basis. Bananas plantations (Dole) are notorious for heavy pesticide use, including banned pestices like DBCP. Plantation workers are suing Dole for pesticide exposure. In Costa Rica, DBCP accumulation in Caiman. 67% of bananas have been found to have Thiabendazole residue present in them, 26% have imazalil. And that's just the top two... 
7. Some time ago I was listening to a discussion on the problem the third world and how to feed those poor starving people. Some bright spark had come up with the idea of growing yukka plants which has no nutritional value whatsoever but no worries, they had overcome that problem - they would add the necessary nutrients to it! LOL what a load of plonkers!!!! Go plant some quinoa there!!!!
8. Wow, totally biased reporting. I would be way more concerned with corn and wheat growers in the United States than quinoa. Can't believe I wasted my time with this video.
9. I'm more concerned about monoculture crops such as soybeans, palm fruit trees and corn. At least the quinoa is not a genetically modified monster cross-pollinating with indigenous quinoa. Oh wait, that happened with corn in Mexico. This is all very alarming, to say the least.
10. It's very important to acknowledge the full effect of increasing demands on the farmers lives, and also highlight the benefits of a sustainable and direct relationship with the producers, as opposed to conventional trading practices. Like Sergio mentions above, promoting US grown quinoa can have a much more detrimental effect. We would like to share with readers how we source quinoa at Alter Eco by looking on our website.
11. Book recommendation - The Carbon Footprint of Everything. -Bananas - low carbon! Keep eating them! -Bottled water has 1000x the carbon footprint as the stuff coming out of the faucet. Avoid anywhere you have decent tap water. -Plastic bags are nasty for a bunch of reasons, but are not a big carbon concern. -Meat (especially from ruminants like cows and sheep) and dairy have huge footprints due to the generation of methane. Love vegan! :-) <3
12. Historical Examples of Grain-Based, Starch-Based, Diets by Dr.McDougall. Barley – Middle East for 11,000 years Corn – Central and South America for 7000 years Millet – Africa for 6,000 years Oats – Middle East for 11,000 years Sorghum – East Africa for 6,000 years Rice – Asia for more than 10,000 years Rye – Asia for 5000 years Wheat – Near East for 10,000 years
13. Yes, dicks, grow local so Monsanto can get hold of it. Wait, now who are you people advising the US not to purchase quinoa from outside the US? You must work for Monsanto. Seriously flawed info. You guys need to get out and meet people.
14. My dos centavos: At a time when our food supply is contaminated with GMOs and toxins, focusing on the danger of quinoa monoculture [practiced for thousands of years successfully by people who know the land], seems like a false flag to me. How about a program in which you talk about the "super weed" that Monsanto can't beat being amaranth? Another super seed cultivated by indigenous people. And I was distracted by the young man on the left who kept saying "fur". The word is "for".
15. Please find someone to participate that knows reality at origin? We (Andean Naturals) work with thousands of family farms. They have been planting quinoa for centuries in Bolivia at high atitude where NO OTHER CROP grows. That's why it's monoculture! In Peru/Ecuador they rotate with Lupin/beans/corr/wheat/barley. Not in Bolivia. They have to leave the land fallow for 2 years. Oh- And farmers have plenty of quinoa to eat. Promoting US grown quinoa will drive Andean farmers back to poverty.
16. "It'll mess things up." Probably one of the more scientific explanations I have heard to describe the impact of monoculturing. I know they have sweet beards, but I questioned their credentials throughout the video. 
17. yes, i agree completely... one of its close relatives is lamb's quarters, which grows everywhere in the US/EU anyways, as you said. the problem is not the plant... the problem is the way it is being produced and the economic model that goes with that, which is a failure. i was involved in a project that seeks to identify suitable quinoa cultivars for germany... this approach is getting closer to the solution we need :) 
18. I'm surprised these guys didn't take that into consideration.
19. Quinoa is really easy to grow in your own back garden for home consumption as part of a mixed cropping system that will have a good balanced ecology. There are lots of its close wild edible relatives around throughout the Americas and Europe - so close that it really doesn't mess up anything at all. A much better crop to grow than corn from a nutritional and yield point of view. And its leaves are edible too - in salads when young and cooked as it gets older. More great nutrients