An article in BBC Future's "Follow the Food" series by Norman Miller explores the vast, untapped potential of forgotten and underutilised plants to enhance global food security and diversify our diets. It highlights that while the planet boasts at least 30,000 edible plant species, a mere 12 species and five animal types constitute 75% of the world's food, with just three grass crops—rice, maize, and wheat—providing 60% of our plant-derived calories and proteins.
This over-reliance carries significant risks, including vulnerability to diseases (as seen with the Irish potato famine and Panama Disease in Cavendish bananas) and the challenges posed by climate change to staple crop cultivation. The Green Revolution, while boosting yields, inadvertently promoted a mono-culture approach.
Tapping into Plant Diversity
The article discusses several approaches to counteracting these risks and broadening our food base:
- Gene Editing: Scientists are using techniques like CRISPR to enhance crop resilience and nutritional quality. Wendy Harwood at the John Innes Centre is quoted on its importance for developing improved crops urgently.
- Wild Relatives: Exploring the genetic diversity in uncultivated relatives of key crops can uncover traits like disease resistance. Kew Gardens has identified thousands of edible plant species with potential for greater use.
- Orphan Crops: These are locally domesticated species with wider potential. Examples include fonio (a drought-resilient West African millet), moringa (a nutrient-dense 'superfood'), and pumpkin leaves (ugu).
- "Cinderella" Species: Coined by Roger Leakey, these are culturally important and nutritious wild plants, like African wild fruit trees (e.g., bush mango, safou), that have been traditionally gathered and hold potential for domestication.
Localised Solutions and Farmer Innovation
Prasad Hendre of the African Orphan Crops Consortium emphasizes cultivating these crops locally, supporting farmers with infrastructure and fair pricing, and developing solutions harmonious with the local environment rather than applying large-scale agricultural models universally.
The article also highlights the World Agroforestry Centre's (WAC) work in domesticating highly-valued wild species in Africa, stemming from surveys that revealed local communities prioritized indigenous fruit trees over commercially known timber.
Challenges remain, as orphan crops often require more breeding work to improve traits for wider use. However, the piece showcases innovative farmers worldwide who are already experimenting with "exotic" crops suited to changing local climates, from quinoa and Szechuan peppers in the UK to Japanese vegetables at Namayasai Farm.
The Sowing New Seeds project in the UK Midlands further illustrates this trend, with growers successfully cultivating plants native to diverse countries. The article concludes that through the efforts of farmers, scientists, and the promotion of undervalued crops, our global diet has the potential to become far more exciting and resilient.