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Willdenow was the first to botanically describe quinoa as a species native to South America, whose centre of origin, according to Buskasov, was in Bolivia and Peru (Cárdenas, 1944). However, during the last decade, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina and Colombia have started extensive cultivation and research projects on quinoa, such as SICA (Agricultural Census and Information System) of the Agricultural Ministry of Ecuador; Quinuacoche CANOE Program promoted by the Latin American Foundation in Colombia; Provincial Congress for Quinoa promoted by the Chamber of Deputies of Salta, Argentina; Program of Encouragement for Business Design and Innovation promoted by the Euro Chile Foundation (Taboada et al., 2011).

Quinoa is seen as an oligocentric species with a broad centre of origin and multiple diversification. The Andean altiplano, a high plains region encompassing Lake Titicaca and extending approximately 800 km from north to south, lies mostly between 3500 and 4300 m above sea level. The shores of Lake Titicaca in the Andean region are considered to be the area of greatest genetic diversity and variation of the crop (Mujica, 1992). Quinoa is distributed throughout the Andean region, from Colombia (Pasto) to northern Argentina (Jujuy and Salta) and Chile (Antofagasta), where a group of quinoas have been found at sea level (Lescano, 1994).

In fact, quinoa cultivation occurred in areas where it is absent today. Most notable of these are northern Colombia near Bogota, and Cordoba Province in eastern Argentina. The major areas of current quinoa cultivation (Fig. 3.1) appear to extend southward from extreme southern Colombia through Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, with extensions into the Chilean altiplano (eastern Tarapaca) and northern Argentina (Jujuy and Salta) (Wilson, 1990). According to Rojas (1998), the geographical distribution of quinoa in the region extends from 5°N in southern Colombia to 43°S in the Xth Region of Chile. Its altitudinal distribution ranges from sea level in Chile to 4000 m in the altiplano of Bolivia and Peru.

Fig. 3.1. Distribution of quinoa and other members of subsect. Cellulata in South America. [Reprinted from Wilson et al. (1990), with permission from Springer.]