Biofair products are sourced in accordance with fairtrade guidelines which help developing communities form sound trading relationships, whilst protecting the health of the farmers and the integrity of the local environment. The companys aim is to help third world communities develop economically sound trading relationships, while at the same time protecting the health of farmers and the integrity of the local environment. Quinoa is closely related to species such as beetroots and spinach and was first domesticated by the Andean peoples around 3,000 years ago. Quinoa has been an important staple in the Andean cultures where the plant is indigenous but relatively obscure in the rest of the world. The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as chisaya mama or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using "golden implements". During the Spanish conquest of South America, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as "food for Indians", and even actively suppressed its cultivation, due to its status within indigenous religious ceremonies. In fact, the conquistadores forbade quinoa cultivation for a time and the Incas were forced to grow wheat instead. Quinoa has been called a superfood. Quinoa's protein content per 100 calories is higher than brown rice, potatoes, barley and millet. Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant.

gluten_free.