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"Scenic Roots" offers conversations that matter in the heart of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.From the mountains to the river, our conversations are rooted deep within every corner of our community - reflecting who we are, who we were and who we can become.We engage with the news that affects our community, behind and beyond the headlines. We build bridges that span from creators and innovators to storytellers and the outdoors. We focus on our challenges as many communities in one - as we celebrate what inspires us. We resonate with countless voices - in words and spaces, sounds and songs.We are "Scenic Roots."Ray Bassett hosts and produces "Scenic Roots" at WUTC.

“The Quinoa Bust”: The Rollercoaster For An Ancient Superfood

Farmers near Juliaca, Peru winnow quinoa on a windy day.
Courtesy of Dr. Emma McDonell
Farmers near Juliaca, Peru winnow quinoa on a windy day.

Quinoa is known as an ancient grain, grown for centuries by indigenous farmers in the Andes Mountains in South America.

In the past generation, quinoa was touted as a “superfood” around the world - soaring, then falling, in the global market.

Dr. Emma McDonell tells the complicated story in “The Quinoa Bust: The Making and Unmaking of an Andean Miracle Crop,” published by the University of California Press.

She is an assistant professor of anthropology here on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

On Friday, starting at 4 PM, a campus book launch with a Q&A will be held in the Roth Reading Room at the UTC Library.

Dr. Emma McDonell, at left - and the cover of “The Quinoa Bust,” at right.
UTC & University of California Press
Dr. Emma McDonell, at left - and the cover of “The Quinoa Bust,” at right.

Ray is the host and producer of Scenic Roots, Mondays - Thursdays at 3 PM on WUTC.
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