Editorial

Transforming agriculture and the 70% myths

“…Productive monocultures of improved crops including genetically modified varieties, as conventional or "industrial" agriculture, are demonized for their apparent lack of diversity although most modern varieties are highly functionally diverse with traits contributed by many parents (Lenné and Wood, 2022). Khoury et al (2022) noted that the 75% narrative was a powerful tool to raise awareness of diversity loss, yet one must question whether using a unproven figure to pressure farmers to grow more diversity and to influence policymakers is ethical (Lenné, 2023).…”