High Andean Association Producers of Organic Quinoa: A Sustainability Study Based on Competitiveness and Performance

Quinoa, considered a superfood, is grown in the high Andean zones of Peru and Bolivia. The competitiveness, organizational capacity, and technological level of the producers limit their production. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of competitiveness on the performance of quinoa producer associations in the high Andes. The study was developed in the production period of 2022–2023 and considered associations of quinoa producers from different localities. The correlation between competitiveness (corporate identity, resources, and potential) and production performance (financial and non-financial) was studied. The data were collected through a questionnaire with closed questions and a Likert scale and presented normal distribution, and a one-factor ANOVA, Pearson′s correlation, and PCA at 5% significance were applied. Twenty-three quinoa producer associations were identified with 15 years of organic quinoa production of the varieties of Blanca de Junín, Choclito, Pasankalla, Negra, and Roja, with production ranging from 17 to 40.8 tons grown in a semi-mechanized way. It was observed that the general competitiveness of the associations was rated as moderately inadequate despite good performance; this behavior was more marked in the associations in urban areas such as Andahuaylas and San Jeronimo. Urban quinoa associations have higher quality than rural ones. Competitiveness is limited by a lack of human resources training, government commitment, and strategic alliances, which predicts low sustainability.