Crop diversity | TableDebates

Aerial shot of field with combine harvester. Credit: Timon Reinhard via pexels

Journal articles

The productivity–stability trade-off in global food systems

This study argues there is a productivity stability trade-off in agricultural systems and the historic drive for productivity and lack of diversity threatens future crop production stability. It concludes that strategies to promote diverse landscapes and crops are critical to food production.

Cover of The Lost Supper by Taras Grescoe depicting a botanical illustration of a tomato plant.

The Lost Supper: Searching for the Future of Food in the Flavours of the Past

Taras Grecoe looks into the history of agriculture, food production and consumption in order to understand how historical practices could positively shape a sustainable future food system. He argues that the future of food security, human health and biodiversity can only be reached by re-engaging with the culinary diversity of the past through radically diversifying the food of the future.

Colourful rows of squash, cauliflower, cabbage, parsnips and potatoes. Photo by Pixabay

Journal articles

How diversifying the agrifood systems can ensure global food security

The conflict in Ukraine has spotlighted significant insecurities in the global food system. Many countries with restricted access to imported staples have seen their food prices soaring and populations become increasingly food insecure, with effects most pronounced in the world’s poorest countries who tend to be import reliant. This paper highlights the impacts of current international crises on food security, highlights over-reliance on imports as the major threat to food security, and offers four suggestions as to how food systems can be diversified to enhance future food security

Regenerative Agriculture

What is regenerative agriculture?

What is regenerative agriculture? Although this concept is frequently used in discussions about food systems transformation, and is starting to attract the attention of corporates and the mainstream, it lacks a formal definition, and what counts as "regenerative" can vary based on the individual asked, or the context.In this explainer, we explore ways of thinking about regenerative agriculture in relation to its various definitions, the stakeholders using the term, its knowledge practices and knowledge base, and how it fits in with wider goals for food system change.https://www.doi.org/10.56661/2d7b8d1cA shorter written version of this summary is available here.

Terra Viva

Terra Viva: A memoir by Vandana Shiva

This memoir by Indian environmental activist Dr Vandana Shiva recounts her advocacy for diversity, indigenous knowledge, localisation, seed saving and food sovereignty.

Image: Farmer Elias Chirinda drying his jugo bean (Bambara groundnut) crop in Chimanimani, TSURO, Zimbabwe. Credit: Xavier Vahed for Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI). SKI has granted authorisation to use the image in this article.

Essay: How power dynamics influence southern African seed and food systems

Access to seed is a vital factor in crop production, affecting which crops are grown and hence what food is available. This essay explores the power dynamics influencing three different seed provision systems in southern Africa, with a focus on Zimbabwe: formal seed systems involving commercial seed dealers and seed aid programmes; informal seed systems based on local markets, social networks and individual farmers saving seeds; and an intermediate system where seed is produced by community organisations. The author is Dr Bulisani L Ncube, senior programme officer at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, whose PhD thesis analysed the relationship between seed security and food security. He explains how different stakeholders perceive each of the seed provision systems and their benefits and drawbacks for reliability, traceability, income, knowledge transfer and more.

The Seed Detective

The Seed Detective

This book explores the stories of local and heritage varieties of vegetables such as peas, fava beans, asparagus, squash and sweetcorn, looking at how they relate to the history of globalisation, politics and colonisation in the global food system.

Orphan crops for sustainable food and nutrition security

Orphan crops for sustainable food and nutrition security

This book sets out the potential benefits and challenges associated with farming so-called orphan crops, also called “neglected and underutilised species”, such as certain types of millet and buckwheat.

The Ninth Revolution: Transforming food systems for good

The Ninth Revolution: Transforming food systems for good

This book outlines historical revolutions in the global food system and calls for the global food system to become more diverse in many aspects, including crop species, production systems and farming cultures.