Origins of food crops connect countries worldwide

Abstract

Research into the origins of food plants has led to the recognition that specific geographical regions around the world have been of particular importance to the development of agricultural crops. Yet the relative contributions of these different regions in the context of current food systems have not been quantified. Here we determine the origins (‘primary regions of diversity’) of the crops comprising the food supplies and agricultural production of countries worldwide. We estimate the degree to which countries use crops from regions of diversity other than their own (‘foreign crops’), and quantify changes in this usage over the past 50 years. Countries are highly interconnected with regard to primary regions of diversity of the crops they cultivate and/or consume. Foreign crops are extensively used in food supplies (68.7% of national food supplies as a global mean are derived from foreign crops) and production systems (69.3% of crops grown are foreign). Foreign crop usage has increased significantly over the past 50 years, including in countries with high indigenous crop diversity. The results provide a novel perspective on the ongoing globalization of food systems worldwide, and bolster evidence for the importance of international collaboration on genetic resource conservation and exchange.

The importance and challenges of crop germplasm interdependence: the case of Bhutan

“…Many countries heavily depend on non-indigenous crops and imported germplasm for food and agricultural development (Fowler et al 2000). Today, all countries and all regions have become highly interdependent (Galluzzi et al 2015;Khoury et al 2016). In order for countries to successfully adapt to climate change it is expected that this interdependency will further increase (Reynolds 2010;Yadav et al 2011).…”

Survey of the response of 82 domestic landraces of Zea mays to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) reveals geographical region‐related resistance to CMV in Japan

“…The origins and domestication of cultivated plants, as well as their breeding for improved traits are matters of great interest (Khoury et al, 2016). Plant breeders often emphasize selection and development of disease-resistant plant lines.…”

Against the grain? A historical institutional analysis of access governance of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Ethiopia

“…Sustainable food production depends on cultivated and wild plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) for crop improvement. Farmers and breeders need access to plant genetic resources (PGRs) from both within and outside their borders; indeed all countries rely on crop diversity that originated on territories under other jurisdictions (Khoury et al, 2016; Palacios, 1997). Despite the empirical evidence for the interdependence and the benefits of well‐adapted crop varieties, access to genetic resources is restricted in several ways, and in ways that differ between different user groups.…”