Plants People Planet· 2026Q1
Food plant diversity in a rapidly changing world
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Global food systems are becoming increasingly homogeneous, relying on a narrow set of major crops and leading to significant losses of local crop diversity and associated knowledge.
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Key points
- Global food systems show increasing homogeneity, centered on a limited number of major crops.
- Significant losses of local food plant diversity and associated knowledge are occurring.
- Conservation efforts are underway, but understanding of diversity trends needs improvement.
- Priorities are outlined to protect and promote food plant diversity for future resilience.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Societal Impact Statement Diversity in food plants is essential to human and planetary health. On farms, in diets, and in many other areas of food systems, this diversity has undergone enormous change globally, including significant decline. We describe major trends in how food plant diversity has been changing, note the responses from conservation communities, highlight gaps in our current understanding about these trends, and outline priorities to further safeguard and promote the use of food plant diversity in a rapidly changing world. Summary Diversity in food plants is essential to human and planetary health. This diversity has undergone enormous change in human diets, crop production areas, agricultural research pipelines, and other aspects of food systems over the past century, and there is every indication that there is more change to come. We describe major trends in how food plant diversity has been changing, including increasing homogeneity across food systems based on a relatively narrow set of major crops and significant losses of local diversity and associated knowledge and practices. We provide an overview of the responses to these changes from conservation communities. We then highlight gaps in our current understanding about these trends and conclude by outlining priorities to further safeguard and promote the use of food plant diversity in a rapidly changing world.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Plants People Planet, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Plant Science
Plant ScienceAgricultural and Biological Sciences