The Mother Grain

Gr 6–9—This colorful documentary is a presentation on the rapid worldwide popularity of the grainlike seed quinoa (keen-wa), grown in Bolivia. It is grown by the Aymara and Quechua farmers in the same area of the Andes Mountains, where it was a major crop for their Inca ancestors. Once considered a staple for only peasant farmers, the protein-rich staple has become what might be considered a relatively new health food fad. However, the increasing demand for what Bolivians call the "mother grain" is causing, in some circles, concern about the effect on the local farmers, that Bolivian farmers are sending too much to market and not keeping enough to feed their own people, and that the spreading production of quinoa on other continents will lessen demand. Filmed on location, surrounded by the world's largest salt flat, this work introduces viewers to a landscape that is beautiful and hostile, an area suitable only for quinoa and llamas. Students should find the content both interesting and informative.