Extinction sows risk to food supply
Report claims lack of diversity could leave system vulnerable
LONDON — Global food supplies could be threatened by the mass extinction of global wildlife that is under way, a report said on Tuesday.
Three-quarters of the world’s food comes from just 12 crops and five animal species, leaving supplies vulnerable to diseases and pests, according to Bioversity International, a global research group.
Of the estimated 7,000 edible plant species, just 30 are used to feed the world, said the report.
Tens of thousands of alternatives exist that can grow in difficult environments and have high nutrient content and the potential to increase their yields.
However, almost 80 percent of land areas are used to grow only wheat, maize and rice, the report said.
Traditional crops and varieties represent just 2 percent of material stored in gene banks worldwide. Overreliance on too few varieties and species is leaving the food system unnecessarily exposed to shocks and stresses, as well as neglecting a high-impact solution to major health, environmental and food security challenges, according to the review.
“Agrobiodiversity — the edible plant and animal species that feed each and every one of us — holds the key to future food security,” said Ann Tutwiler, director general of Bioversity International. “But we are failing to protect it, and tap into its potential to transform our food system for the better.”
The destruction of wild areas, pollution and overhunting have started a mass extinction of species on Earth, said the report.
The focus to date has been on wild animals — half of which have been lost in the last 40 years — but the new report revealed that the same pressures are endangering humanity’s food supply.
The report, the group’s first scientific analysis, pro- vides evidence that investment in agrobiodiversity can play a critical role in tackling wider global targets such as reducing poverty and malnutrition, reversing environmental degradation and combating climate change.
It highlighted examples including the gac, a fiery red fruit from Vietnam, and the orange-fleshed Asupina banana. Both have extremely high levels of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
Quinoa has become popular in some developed countries but only a few of the thousands of varieties native to South America are cultivated. The report showed how support has enabled farmers in Peru to grow a tough, nutritious variety.
Mainstream crops can also benefit from diversity. Earlier this year in Ethiopia, researchers found two varieties of durum wheat that produce excellent yields even in dry areas.
Fish diversity is also valuable, with a Bangladeshi species shown to be extremely nutritious, said the report.
Leading agribusinesses such as Syngenta and Sainsbury’s, as well as countries such as Italy, Peru and Ethiopia, have expressed interest in using the index, which is expected to launch in 2018.
“Global warming, extreme weather and volatile prices are making it harder for farmers and growers to produce the foods our customers love,” said Beth Hart, head of agriculture at Sainsbury’s.