Do you know what an “orphan” crop is? With regard to food sustainability, the role of orphan crops is profound. Orphan crops, such as cassava, chickpeas, lentils and yams, are food crops which are not widely traded in international markets, which may not receive large amounts of public or private investment, and tend not to be studied as widely as crops such as wheat and rice. Yet their adaptive superiority to the conditions of a geographical area, such as soil composition or low annual rainfall, makes them critically important in the agriculture of developing economies.
Agriculture must take center stage for both discussions of food sustainability and climate change. In developing countries, agriculture accounts for 29% of GDP and provides 65% of available jobs. Agriculture is not merely affected by climate change, but also contributes to it. Fully one-third of plant crops are grown as animal feed. High-inputs of fertilizer, irrigation water, human labor and cultivation via machinery increases the carbon emissions required to grow crops.
Re-emerging practices such as conservation agriculture address issues of sustainable agriculture use approaches that seek to preserve the state of soil, such as zero-tillage, and recognize that orphan crops play important geographic roles in sustainable food supplies because food is cultivated globally across a wide range of ecosystems. Conservation agriculture differs from biotechnology and GMO-dependent approaches by encompassing a set of principles and practices rather than certain technologies, and has been shown to decrease water needs by 30% and energy use by 70% while helping to sequester carbon.
What to do then, besides reading a blog full of illustrative facts? synthesizing our own desire for food sustainability with ways to employ moderation and helpful practices in our own consumption is an ongoing challenge. Many people have read books such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and consistently try to reduce their agricultural footprint by reducing consumption of large animal protein, or buying foodstuffs produced locally in their own climate. Yet most of us struggle with our role in the circular model of supply and demand – do we receive genetically modified foods in our local supply chain or supermarket because we “need” them, or because we demand them through a combination of eating habits and shopping with lower food prices in mind? Are crops produced through large agricultural operations really the most nutrient-dense and best available to feed the planet, or do they merely increase profits for those at the top of a food chain that is increasingly complex to navigate, especially for the world’s poorest farmers? Have we counted on science, for too long, to continually keep up with climate change’s strain on world agriculture by producing ever better-adapted seeds which can theoretically grow in the most awful conditions no matter what?
The answer will not be in one crop, approach, article or blog, but rather in the networked expertise of everyone seeking to understand and address this issue just a little bit better than they did yesterday.
Source Articles:
Farming’s Climate-Smart Future: http://ccafs.cgiar.org/sites/default/files/assets/docs/farmings_climate-smart_future.pdf
Ten Hearty Orphan Crops: http://www.miller-mccune.com/environment/ten-hearty-orphan-crops-19183/
The Ominvore’s Dilemma- New York Times Book Review: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/books/review/23kamp.html?pagewanted=all
The Paradigm of Conservation Agriculture: http://www.unapcaem.org/publication/ConservationAgri/ParaOfCA.pdf
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