On the face of it, our diet has never felt more varied. The traditional 'Kiga' mainstay of ‘Potatoes and veg’ can feel like a distant memory. Most of us have access to more cuisines and flavours than ever before.
It is estimated that more than 50% of our food comes from just three crops: wheat, rice and maize.
However, despite the seemingly huge variety of ingredients now present in our supermarkets and on our plates, as a species we consume just a tiny proportion of the world’s available food. Whether we live in Kampala or on the out-skirts of the Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla forest, the human diet is typically centered around 30 or so main crops.
It is estimated that more than 50% of our food comes from just three crops: wheat, rice and maize.
Being overly reliant on three crops may not sound like a big problem but with a growing global population and the increasing threat of climate change it may be riskier than you’d think.
Climate change is having an enormous impact on how we grow and harvest crops. With extreme temperatures, increasing drought and elevated levels of carbon dioxide, we are having to think more carefully about what crops we plant, and how and where we plant them. Wild Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) is facing near-extinction, despite being highly important for coffee sustainability due to its considerable genetic diversity.
Our crops are also facing increasing threats from pests and diseases. One of the fastest spreading pests in the world, the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), is highly damaging to grasses such as maize and rice. In May 2016, Nigeria’s Kaduna state had to declare a state of emergency when 80% of farms growing tomatoes were reported to have had their crops destroyed by the moth Tuta absoluta.
The pest was first reported in Uganda in June 2016 in Kayunga, Kasese and Bukedea districts and by end of 2017, the pest had spread to all the districts
To feed an estimated 10 billion people in 2050, we’re going to require more food, leading to a significant increase in intensive farming and large areas of land converted to agricultural use. This increases food production capability but alters the balance of cultivated and wild species in these areas. The recent IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which includes data and insight from MGF partner scientists, makes clear that land clearance for agriculture is the principle cause of biodiversity loss. The report’s message is clear – decreasing biodiversity and increasing extinction rates of wildlife around the globe are a direct threat to human wellbeing.
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, more than 90% of crop varieties have already disappeared from farms around the world in the last 100 years. This loss of diversity has already impacted our diets, our health, and our livelihoods.
MGF is part of a global community of advocates, environmentalists and policymakers working to spread the word and increase understanding of the intrinsic dependency between biodiversity and the future of our food systems and human health.
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