Amaranth and Chia: Two Strategic Ancestral Grains for Mexico’s Sustainability ^†

Abstract

The demand for food worldwide due to population growth, rising hunger and malnutrition, the adverse effects of climate change, the overexploitation of natural resources, biodiversity loss, and food loss and waste are severe challenges faced by global food and agricultural production systems. A transition to sustainable food and agriculture that ensures global food security and provides economic and social opportunities, while protecting the ecosystem, must occur to achieve sustainability. Due to their numerous nutritional, agronomical, and health advantages, amaranth and chia are attractive grains for sustainable development and product patenting. Nonetheless, there is still a lack of a legal framework and relevant policies to encourage their cultivation. The objective of this study was to summarize the current production state, intellectual property, and legal and political frameworks of both grains. A revision of the most recent literature on the therapeutic potential and nutrient composition of amaranth and chia was conducted. The current production, production value data, intellectual property, legal framework, and policy information were retrieved from public consultation websites and then analyzed. The results of this revision indicate that the production of amaranth and chia grains significantly increased between 2010 and 2016, along with the publication of intellectual property patent applications. Chia and chia-derived products are not regulated by any current law, while amaranth has received more political attention due to its positive results in production numbers. More evidence of the sustainable features of both grains, along with a political framework that encourages their cultivation, may help Mexico to achieve food sustainability.

1. Introduction

The agriculture sector is the world’s largest employer, providing income for 40 percent of the world’s population today. It is the largest source of income and employment for poor rural households and provides up to 80 percent of the food that is consumed globally. Nevertheless, up to 811 million people suffer from hunger, and the number of people facing acute food insecurity has more than doubled from 135 million to 276 million since 2019. For this reason, global organizations such as the United Nations have been promoting several lines of action to reduce world hunger and food insecurity with a sustainability approach, simultaneously tackling other issues such as environmental protection, health and social protection, and job opportunities. To that end, researchers have investigated several food sources that ensure sustainable production systems that help maintain ecosystems and have strengthened the capacity for adaptation to climate change and extreme weather, in addition to providing incomes for small-scale food producers, particularly women and indigenous peoples [1]. There is evidence that two Mexican native grains have the potential to meet these criteria: the pseudo-cereal grain, amaranth, and the oleaginous chia. Both ancient grains offer outstanding nutritional value with a high protein content (14.5–24%) and numerous health benefits, such as antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antiobesity, and antioxidative activities [2]. Nonetheless, even though both these grains have proven to be more profitable than others, such as maize, and although there is interest in protecting the intellectual property of the technology related to cultivating these grains, amaranth and chia cultivation are not successfully promoted in Mexico. The relevant legal frameworks and policies are not well established or have not been revised. This study aims to summarize the current federal policies and intellectual protection tendencies of amaranth and chia in Mexico from 2000 to the present in 2022.

2. Methods

2.1. Production Data

All production and production value data were retrieved using the public consultation software “Agroalimentary Information System for Consultation” (SIACON) produced by the “Agri-food and Fisheries Information Service” (SIAP). The search parameters were the following: all federative states of Mexico were selected, only amaranth and chia data were included, the agricultural cycle was set to include all seasons, with irrigation methods and rainfed systems, and the consulting period was limited to the period from the year 2000 to the end of 2021. The selected variables were the total production in tons and production value in thousands of pesos.

2.2. Intellectual Property Information

Intellectual property information regarding amaranth and chia-related technologies was retrieved from the Industrial Property Gazette Information System (SIGA) (https://siga.impi.gob.mx/newSIGA/content/common/principal.jsf (accessed on 1 July 2022)) by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) using the specialized search tool. The search parameters were the following: only utility patents were consulted, and the keywords used were “amaranth” and “chia,” using quotation marks to retrieve the exact term. There were no restrictions on the time of publication. Missing information on international patents was completed by searching the patent ID on the Espacenet website (https://worldwide.espacenet.com/ (accessed on 1 July 2022)) of the European Patent Organization. Data were analyzed using Tableau Public (https://public.tableau.com/en-us/s/ (accessed on 15 July 2022)).

2.3. Legal Framework

Current legislation information was retrieved by consulting the norms catalog of the “Comprehensive Standards and Conformity Assessment System” (SINEC) webpage (https://www.sinec.gob.mx/SINEC/Vista/Normalizacion/BusquedaNormas.xhtml (accessed on 19 July 2022)) using the keywords “amaranth” and “chia.” Other legal information was retrieved from the Legislation Chamber website (http://www3.diputados.gob.mx/camara/001_diputados/ (accessed on 19 July 2022)).

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Sustainable Value of Amaranth and Chia

The global food and agricultural production systems are facing severe challenges, including the demand for food due to population growth, rising hunger and malnutrition, the adverse effects of climate change, the overexploitation of natural resources, biodiversity loss, and food waste. The existing food and agricultural systems have failed to meet the world’s food requirements, and more than 811 million people continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition. There is an urgent need to accelerate a transition to sustainable food and agriculture that will ensure global food security and provide economic and social opportunities while protecting the ecosystems on which agriculture depends. For agriculture and food systems to be sustainable, they must benefit the people who work on the land; they must use novel technologies, markets should be accessible, and they must provide appropriate employment opportunities. Hence, the most fundamental task for the scientific community in this matter is to research sustainable food systems that meet these sustainability criteria or to provide enough evidence for the encouragement of the extensive production of existing sustainable alternatives to conventional food systems [1]. Amaranth and chia are known for their potential to contribute to agrobiodiversity, environmental sustainability, and welfare in food and foodstuff production worldwide. Native to southern Mexico and Central America, these crops are popular as highly profitable grains because of their high nutritional value, fast growth, tolerance of extreme conditions, and ability to grow in poor soils. Amaranth and chia’s ability to adapt to adverse growing conditions, such as nutrient-poor soils and wide temperature ranges, make them attractive options as sustainable crops in semi-arid regions. In pre-Columbian civilizations, amaranth and chia formed the basis of human nutrition; the Aztec and Mayan civilizations used amaranth and chia for dietary and other cultural purposes. The nutrient composition of amaranth and chia varies, depending on growing conditions; both grains offer high nutritional value and have a generally positive impact on human health. Amaranth is a gluten-free pseudo-grain that is ideal for people with celiac disease; it is becoming an increasingly popular superfood because of its high-quality but low content of carbohydrates (3%), fiber (4%), lipids (7%), essential amino acids (5.85%), squalene, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, phytic acid, vitamins, and minerals. Amaranth also contains unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid) (2.736%) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) (0.042%), along with several antioxidants. Chia seeds are characterized by their low carbohydrate content (3.4%) and high protein (18.9%), and fat (31.2%) contents. They are also high in omega-3 (19.5%) and omega-6 (5.2%) fatty acids. Both grains’ high concentrations of high-quality nutrients and bioactive compounds are associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and cancer [2]. Both grains are slowly being incorporated into the diet to improve human health. Consequently, the production, consumption, and demand for chia and amaranth have generally increased in Mexico and worldwide.

3.2. National Production and Production Value of Amaranth and Chia

In the last two decades, the total production of amaranth and chia shared similar behaviors, having a breakthrough in the same period (2010–2015). Amaranth production (Figure 1A) from 2000 to the end of 2010 was consistent, with an average output of around 3600 tons per year, and then exponentially increased, peaking in 2015 (8551 tons). The production subsequently decreased, experiencing a 27.75% drop in 2021 from the total output in 2015. On the other hand, chia production (Figure 1B) was not significant before 2010. In 2013, the total production of chia exponentially increased, peaking in 2014 (9548 tons), surpassing the amaranth production in the same year and the maximum historical output of amaranth in 2015. Nonetheless, from 2016 to the end of 2019, the total production significantly decreased, dropping 37.6%. The last three years of production slightly increased, reaching 4771 tons in 2021, which was still less than the amaranth production. Generally, the production values of these grains show that they are both quite profitable (Figure 1). The maximum production value of amaranth in the last decade was achieved in 2015, reaching over 95 million pesos; the production value increased in 2013 and decreased between 2016 and 2019. In 2021 a growth tendency was observable. The production value of chia is far superior. In 2014, that value reached a total of 420,701,810 pesos and, as was the case with the total production of the grain, along with the production value of amaranth, it decreased between 2016 and 2019, with an observable growth tendency in 2021. In profit terms, using the year 2015 as a reference when the total production and the production value of both grains were above average, the value per ton of amaranth produced was 11,115 pesos, while a ton of chia had a value of 46,628 pesos. In comparison, the most commonly grown grain in Mexico, maize, had a value per ton of 3,423 pesos in the same year. In contrast, using the same year as a reference (2015), in 2021, the value of a ton of maize had increased by 57%, while amaranth and chia had increased by 4% and 22.4%, respectively. Whereas the value production of amaranth and chia is not as high as it was five years ago, the Mexican agriculture industry, in general, is growing, reaching 756,666,728,000 pesos in 2021 [3]. However, inflation should be considered as a factor in such a value.

3.3. Intellectual Property Rights of Amaranth and Chia-Based Products and Processes

Amaranth-related technologies surfaced in Mexico in 1994 when the first amaranth-related patent was published in the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property (IMPI). Ever since then, a total of ten patents and twenty-seven applications for patents have been published in the IMPI gazette (Figure 2A). The year 2014 marked the most active year in intellectual property behavior in the field. On the other hand, interest in patenting chia-related technology started in 2000 (Figure 2B), when the first application was published. Since then, only four patents have been conceded, and thirteen applications have been solicited, marking 2018 as the year with the most applications.

In terms of technologies, the International Patent Classification (IPC) technology is a fast way to analyze the most common technologies that are yet to be patented. In this context, most of the amaranth-related technology fits the category of “Foods, foodstuffs, or non-alcoholic beverages,” the most frequently referenced technology refers to their preparation or treatment (e.g., cooking, the modification of nutritive qualities, and physical treatment), the preservation of foods or foodstuffs, modifying the nutritional qualities of foods, and dietetics (Figure 3A). To a lesser extent, amaranth-related patents also include those related to fermentation, mixing, and transportation technologies. The technologies for chia also are mostly related to food type. As with amaranth-related technologies, the most repeated technology refers to the preparation or treatment preparations for foods, foodstuffs, or non-alcoholic beverages, including the modification of nutritive qualities (Figure 3B). There is also technology related to medical, dental, or toilet applications. There are no patent publications related to grain-mixing, extraction, and transportation technologies. The word-cloud analysis of titles regarding amaranth and chia patents (Figure 4) gives a general overview of the most repeated technologies. In both cases, food terms stand out, such as the words “functional” (functional), “bebidas” (beverages), “harina” (flour), “semillas” (grains), and “nutraceútico” (nutraceuticals), among many others. An important feature to notice is that many words for biological activities appear in both clouds, such as antihypertensive, diabetes, probiotic, and obesity [4]. There is a clear tendency in the intellectual property of both grains toward the positive health features of amaranth and chia.

3.4. The Legal Framework of Chia and Amaranth Production

Legal regulations in Mexico include norms that are mandatory (NOM) and norms that are not mandatory (NMX); the latter are published in the “Official Journal of the Federation” (DOF), which is the leading benchmark of legality and the point of reference for all regulations in the country. Within this legal framework, two NOMs regulating amaranth are currently in effect and were redacted by the Regulations Secretariat of Commerce and Industrial Development (SCFI); neither NOM has an international equivalent. The first NOM that was published is the NMX-FF-114-SCFI-2009, which regulates the amaranth plant (Amaranthus spp.) for human use and consumption, giving specifications and test methods. The other, NMX-FF-116-SCFI-2010, regulates the products derived from the amaranth plant [5,6]. There are no NMX or NOM for regulating chia seeds or the products derived from them. An initiative was established for the publication of The Mexican Amaranth Promotion Law, which was published in April 2021 in the legislative chamber and aimed to lay the foundations for linking and organizing the production of amaranth, thereby promoting its integral development, implementing strategies that stimulate the advancement and growth of the national output, keeping the advocacy for sustainability goals. It also looks to consolidate the amaranth production chain in Mexico as a financial sector with worldwide leadership in science and technology [7]. In this context, the Operating Rules of the Production for Well-Being Program of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in accordance with the National Development Plan (PND) 2019–2024 and objective number two of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN, establishes strategies to achieve self-sufficiency in the basic foodstuffs consumed by the population. In this sense, food self-sufficiency must be seen in three dimensions: producing the food consumed, generating the inputs and elements required for food production, and developing the necessary knowledge to increase production, effectively meeting the dietary needs of the current and future population. To achieve this, the program has one specific objective, which is to provide liquidity to small and medium-scale producers, preferably of grains, including amaranth and chia, wherein small- and medium-scale producers of amaranth or chia, farming 2 to 20 hectares, receive a per-hectare support fee of up to 3000 pesos. In comparison, other grains such as corn, beans, and rice receive a support fee of 1200 pesos per hectare [8].

3.5. Future Perspectives

Most of the commercial interest in the cultivation of amaranth started with the first national congress of amaranth producers, celebrated in 2015; in consequence, amaranth production is present in legislative conversations, and, in 2017, it was presented as part of a proposal for the management of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, the second leading cause of death in Mexico. Later, in 2018, Mexico hosted the first international congress of amaranth [9]. It is important to note that in the same year that the first congress of amaranth was held (2015), amaranth production reached the highest level of tons produced and production value. In subsequent years, the number of applications for the intellectual protection of amaranth-related technology increased, setting a precedent for the importance of having a political and legal framework to boost the agricultural production of grains, the products derived from such grains, and the innovation of technology to achieve it. This is not the case for chia, where there is a practically nonspecific legal framework related to this grain’s production or product derivatives. However, the production value of the grain and the associated interest in protecting intellectual property is still present. In early 2022, the leader of the “Working Group for the Implementation of the Agenda 2030” stated, in a congress seminar, that the goals and objectives proposed in the agenda for 2030 are still far from being met and it is urgent that strategic knowledge of the parliamentary functions should be imbued with a sense of efficiency, effectiveness, and a framework of plurality. Additionally, in a conference titled, “Scientific evidence for parliamentary decision-making” the need for using scientific knowledge for law-related decisions was stated [10]. With this in mind, the scientific community must work on generating knowledge of all the benefits of amaranth and chia, including more evidence of the positive health effects of these grains’ consumption in the diet and their active compounds, the agronomical advantages of their cultivation in comparison to other species, and the profit potential of the production chain of both grains, while achieving sustainable economic development, particularly in marginalized and indigenous populations.

4. Conclusions

Amaranth and chia have numerous attributes related to sustainability that make them an attractive crop to address Mexico’s food self-sufficiency challenges. Additionally, their nutritional characteristics and positive health effects give these ancestral grains added value. In this context, their health benefits make them of interest to inventors, and the intellectual protection of the technologies derived from them has experienced an upturn in recent years. However, there is as yet no precise legal regulation of chia-derived products, and incentive policies for the cultivation of both grains have not been sufficient to encourage production growth, compared to other less profitable grains, such as maize. It is necessary to extend the scientific evidence of the benefits to society offered by these crops, including the social, economic, and ecological impact of both seeds, in order to encourage the creation of a legal framework that effectively stimulates the cultivation of both seeds in Mexico and contributes to the sustainable development of the country.