For most of us, agricultural biodiversity is a topic of unknowns. It is about the crops and foods that we don’t know; foods that we have never seen or tasted.

In this episode, we talk with Emigdio Ballon, who is an expert on the production of highland Andean crops like quinoa, amaranth, and maca. I asked Emigdio about the historical and cultural importance of these crops, and what can be done to preserve these important resources. We also discuss their economic potential, and prospects for achieving a greater market share.