The New York Times recently ran a story that confirmed something I had worried about: Bolivia’s farmers are increasingly growing quinoa for export, and surging prices have placed it out of reach for many Bolivians.
So, while I’m enjoying a cheap source of protein (around $6 a pound at the most locally), Bolivians are replacing it in their own diets with cheaper processed foods.
It’s a problem that no one seems to plan ahead for: How do you set up a crop for export without depriving locals of the same crop?
Entirely Adequate 
We have a similar problem here in the States, where farmers are switching to harder, starchier corn varieties to sell to biofuel manufacturers, instead of growing corn for human consumption or even for animal feed. Thus the high price of corn-on-the-cob, unless you grow it yourself or buy it off the back of a truck.
Speaking of which, what are you growing this year?
I don’t know … probably just an herb garden. I discovered a couple of years ago that it was pretty cost-effective to buy a CSA share in comparison to spending hours each week fighting the ever-emergent red clay in my back yard and the squirrels.