Thousands of edible plants identified by Kew as scientists say we need to move on from rice and wheat
Fonio porridge for breakfast? Or perhaps an akkoub omelette, with a warming mug of morama.
These are just some of the foods that we could be eating in the future, according to a new report which calls for us to diversify our plant intake to protect against food shocks in a changing climate.
The world depends on just 15 plants to provide 90 per cent of its food, with 4 billion people relying on only rice, maize and wheat.
But a lack of plant diversity makes our staple crops vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, warns the State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Researchers identified more than 7,000 edible and genetically robust plants, only 6 per cent of which are currently commonly consumed around the world.
Expanding our plant food repertoire can protect us against shocks such as drought, pests or disease that could threaten our key crops, and help provide a nutrient rich diet to a global population that is expected to grow to 10 billion by 2050.
But it can also help rescue threatened species, such as the akkoub plant, native to the Middle East, by bringing them into agricultural production.
The study, using research from 210 scientists in 42 countries, outlines new plants and fungi and emerging threats.
It said two in five of all plants are now estimated to be at risk of extinction, with the biggest threats from agriculture, and climate change.
The percentage of species considered under threat has doubled since 2016, although this is largely down to improved methods of monitoring including satellite data, and includes many that could be vital untapped resources for both food and medicine.
“Societies have been too dependent on too few species for too long. At a time of rapid biodiversity loss, we are failing to access the treasure chest of incredible diversity on offer and missing a huge opportunity for our generation,” said Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at RBG Kew.
“Who knows, plants and fungi could even hold the cure for Covid, or the next pandemic.”
The report also identified 1,942 plants and 1,886 fungi named as new to science in 2019.
Among the new discoveries was the fungus which threatens nearly half of the world’s banana crop, which will enable scientists to conduct further research in the hopes of eradicating it.
Scientists also discovered two previously unknown wild relatives of cassava found in Brazil, which could help future proof against threats to the staple food of 800 million people.
The report warned that the global demand for natural medicines, particularly from China, is also threatening some species, with some 723 medicinal plants at most risk.
The report’s authors also warned of major gaps in knowledge about British plants and fungi, with no single agreed list of the UK’s flowering plants in existence, and even less known about the country’s funghi. This could pose a challenge to conservation, with species at risk of going extinct before they are even known about.
