Just three plant species – wheat, maize and rice – account for 60% of all food eaten globally. A crop science expert argues that many of Africa’s 30,000 edible plants must be revived.
Articles on Agrobiodiversity
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Known as ting or amazimba, indigenous sorghum is resilient and rich in cultural and health benefits – yet crops are declining.
Hardline positions could narrow the options available to farmers and conservation practitioners in a way that can be harmful to both.
Fruit production of shea is often limited by a lack of pollination which is more pronounced in places with less tree and shrub diversity.
Over half the calories humans eat today come from corn, wheat and rice. Raising a greater diversity of types of crops and animals (agrobiodiversity) makes diets healthier and farming more resilient.
Top contributors
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Professor of Geography, Penn State
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Associate professor, Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Researcher, Trinity College Dublin
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Professor of Climate Change, Food Systems and Health and Director of The Lancet Countdown in Africa, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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Professor, University of Nairobi