Economic Impact of Quinoa Consumption in the Diet of University Students Case: ESPOCH Agroindustry Career

Abstract

Abstract Quinoa is an ancestral plant, originally cultivated in the Andes. It is a product with exceptional nutritional value and it has been important in the socio-economic evolution of the Andean population. Food is considered a natural, ecological and economic product. Since quinoa has the same amount of protein as meat, it can complement people's daily food at a very low cost. The objective of this work was to carry out market research to determine the knowledge of university students about the protein value of quinoa in their diet and its purchasing power. The design was semi-experimental and descriptive. The study population was students of the Agroindustry degree of the Faculty of Livestock Sciences of the Higher Polytechnic School of Chimborazo. Data were collected through a questionnaire, which contained ten open and closed questions. 192 people were surveyed. Data were also collected through direct observations in the food laboratory. The results indicated a high level of ignorance of the benefits of quinoa. A lack of knowledge about quinoa can result in smaller economic benefits for those who produce this high protein food, which in most cases are indigenous communities.

Keywords

• economic, consumption, quinoa, incidence.