is leading to an increase in chemical fertilizers and poor crop management is causing desertification in some areas these are the real downsides of the quinoa boom though it is worth noting that foods we eat more commonly like pork and beef have a much greater impact on the environment and much less benefit for andean farmers but just because quinoa is not perfect in every way doesnt mean we should stop eating it quinoa is also beholden to the law of supply and demand currently demand is sky high but supply will eventually catch up there are already quinoa farms popping up in the colorado rocky mountains as well as in canada australia china india and paraguay what the controversy does get right is that our everyday habits and purchases are affecting people and communities well beyond our borders the brooklyn vegan who is buying up box after box of quinoa is improving their diet and boosting the incomes of andean farmers and their families but they are also affecting the environment and may be making it more difficult for a worker in lima or la paz to afford a food he grew up eating additionally if a british journalist writes a misleading oped about how consumption of quinoa is driving poverty in bolivia it can if not debunked set off a chain of detrimental effects implicating all of the actors mentioned above this is a fact of life in todays globalized world we are all connected whether by quinoa the beef we eat the fuel we put in our cars or the phones we buy and we have a responsibility to educate ourselves and make the right choices