It may come as a surprise, but three crops are responsible for half of the calories humans consume \u2014 rice, wheat, and maize. Perhaps even more unsustainable, a mere 30 plants comprise 95 percent of the world\u2019s food resources.<\/p>\n
Consider the domino effect the Russia-Ukraine war has on food supplies. Countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Iran reportedly import upwards of 60 percent of their wheat from the warring nations. Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Pakistan are also reliant on Ukrainian crops that have been periodically delayed, leading to global shortages.<\/p>\n
To say this situation is untenable would be something of an understatement. That\u2019s why the agriculture sector would be well-served to invest heavily in orphan crops to stabilize and diversify regional food supplies.<\/p>\n
Orphan crops cover a wide range of plant life commonly referred to as \u201cneglected and underutilized,\u201d or NUS in agriculture circles. They are rarely, if ever, traded on an international level despite the fact they find their way into industrial uses such as cereals, dyes, latex, and oilseeds, among others. The fruits, nuts, vegetables, roots, and tubers that fall under the NUS label continue to be cultivated locally or harvested in the wild. These are a few examples of orphan crops that could improve regional food stability.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also important to note that orphan crops add to biodiversity by reducing the negative effects of monoculture. Some even improve the nitrogen levels of fields.<\/p>\n
Advocacy to increase investment into orphan crops was once driven by the need to create reliable food sources in countries that historically suffered drought and setbacks to their agriculture landscape. Today, NUS plant life is viewed as a sustainable and proactive agriculture practice, based on the following.<\/p>\n