By Elizabeth Greatrex

In the 21st century, choosing to eat healthily isn’t just a lifestyle choice advised by your doctor to control your cholesterol or lower your high-blood pressure. Today, it’s become a complete trend. People are excited to discover new recipes, they’re happily opting to go plant-based, and even fighting over the last ripe avocado in their local store.

But there is one plant that has stood out as the food of choice among the healthy masses: quinoa. Quinoa has evolved into the ultimate superfood trend. A food which has proved itself to be versatile, sustainable, nutrient-dense and delicious. It’s even become the super food of choice of NASA, enjoyed by astronauts during space missions! But when James Livingston-Wallace discovered the delights of Quinoa in Peru back in 2012, he realised that this plant had the potential not only to provide people with a healthier diet, but also to give them the opportunity to live a better way of life, all while protecting the environment. 

Livingstone-Wallace is the founder of Quinola Mothergrain, a company that was set up to disrupt the £3bn rice category, while ‘actively redefining the positive impact business can have on people, society and the environment’. Livingstone-Wallace left the finance world in 2012 with the intention of setting up a Fairtrade business. Eight years on, and his company has started and maintained a quinoa-fuelled revolution, which has become about much more than just Fairtrade. 

Quinola Mothergrain are on a mission to facilitate a system whereby people and businesses unite in helping the environment, repairing society and creating incredible change. Not only do Quinola Mothergrain strive to provide accessible, healthy quinoa, but they also support their farmers with guaranteed fair pay, offset the company’s carbon and plastic emissions with plastic-neutral packaging, but also give people with learning difficulties the opportunity for work and stability.

Quinoa itself may be tasty and delicious, but it is the company’s ‘generous revolution’ that makes them stand out. Their genuine concern about putting people and the environment first has made a worthwhile change that inspires others to do better. For example, their collaboration with a work assistance establishment (ESAT) in France ensures that they are able to welcome people who are disabled into their workforce, who do not have the capacities to work in an ordinary job. Quinola works with over 20 people at this establishment in France, who pack their grains and flakes, making them an integral part of the production line and allowing them to contribute effectively to the whole Quinola movement. Equally, through their Pur Project in Lima, Peru, they estimated their quinoa maritime transport carbon emissions, and therefore chose a certified reforestation project to finance. This guaranteed the equivalent of their CO2 emissions to be offset by forest carbon sequestration. The Pur Project has altogether planted 1,624,492 trees since 2010 making a massive difference to the environment, the livelihoods of farmers and their communities, as well as increasing rainforest biodiversity, restoring degraded land, and decreasing soil erosion.

Commenting on the meaningful essence at the core of his business, it is clear that thinking about the bigger picture has always been a priority to Livingstone-Wallace, right from the company’s inception: “When you buy a product, you buy the world that goes with it. That is why we have built our business with a deep ingrained respect for everyone involved, and try to do things differently, without ever compromising on quality.”

Today, Livingstone-Wallace’s brand is thriving as a more ‘generous revolution’ than ever before. Two million of their ethically sourced, vegan, and cruelty-free quinoa products have been sold since the company’s launch, and are currently available in Morrisons, Holland and Barrett, Ocado, Tesco and SuperValu, amongst other international venues.  They continue to invest in purposeful, impactful projects, such as their partnership with RePurpose, their plastic neutral partner in India helping to fund the collection of plastic waste and reduce the future use of single plastics in their products. Overall, they are always searching for more ways to be sustainable, and to teach people that the only way to do business is to support one another in any way we can.