QUITO, ECUADOR

Quito is located in the Andean highlands of Ecuador, on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano. At 2850 m above sea level, it is among the highest capitals in the world. With nearly 2 million inhabitants, it has an important cultural and ethnic diversity, being home of indigenous, mestizo, and Afro-Ecuadorian population, and a node of internal and international migration. It has a wide cultural and intellectual scene and is the seat of government and public administration.

Quito has varied foodscapes, with the confluence of local and global gastronomic traditions. The city, has access to an ample food diversity, although it depends from the agricultural production of adjacent rural territories. At the same time, the city faces important challenges in terms of social inequality, poverty, and inequity in food consumption. Quito’s food supply system comprises traditional spaces such as markets and open-air fairs, modern supermarkets, and a sector of alternative food circuits that has grown in importance in recent years.