EAT A VARIETY

Globally, the number of different plant species we consume has been shrinking. Since 1900, our increasing reliance on a decreasing number of crops has seen genetic plant diversity in farming plummet by a staggering 75%. To put this in perspective, 16,000 varieties of rice were once grown in Thailand; now, just 37 are farmed. Meanwhile, in the US, 80% of cabbage, pea and tomato varieties have been lost in the last century.

Why is this a problem? ‘As our climate warms, global agriculture becomes susceptible to changing weather,’ explains Alec Taylor, head of food production policy at WWF. ‘Crops that, over centuries, have adapted to certain conditions are increasingly at risk of perishing from periods of extreme heat, drought or cold spells. But if we farm a greater variety of crops, our production system becomes able to manage risks such as diseases, pests and our changing climate in a much more resilient way.’

The large-scale, industrialised farming methods often used to produce the narrow range of crops we eat today also take an environmental toll. ‘Monoculture (the repeated, intensive growing and harvesting of a single crop) relies on fertilisers and pesticides, which can harm wildlife and pollute water systems,’ adds Alec. ‘It can also undermine soil health and leave crops vulnerable to pests and pathogens.’

Diversifying our diets could be better for our health, too. WWF’S Future 50 Foods report (in collaboration with Knorr) identifies 50 plants with high nutritional value and relatively low environmental impact to grow. They include broad beans, lentils, buckwheat, spelt, kale, spinach, watercress, red cabbage, walnuts and flax seeds. By including more of these in our diets, we can help move the dial on this important issue.