An international team of scientists is calling for global action to conserve and better use vegetable biodiversity. Greater diversity can contribute to healthier diets and more resilient food systems. Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) are among those leading this effort.
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers show how a wider diversity of vegetables could help improve diets and strengthen agriculture against climate change. They use the term vegetable biodiversity to describe the full range of vegetable species, traditional varieties and their wild relatives.
Too few vegetables, too little variety
The findings come as people worldwide consume nearly 40% fewer vegetables than recommended by the World Health Organization. Global production remains insufficient to meet recommended intake, and low vegetable consumption is among the five leading dietary risk factors contributing to the global burden of disease. More than one in three people cannot afford a healthy diet, highlighting the need to make vegetables more affordable and accessible.
The researchers argue that simply producing more of todayâs most common vegetables will not be enough. Many traditional and underused vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, well adapted to local conditions and valued in local food cultures. Their diverse varieties and wild relatives also contain traits that can help breeders develop vegetables better able to withstand heat, drought, pests and diseases.
âGrowing more vegetables alone is not enough. We also need to grow a greater diversity of vegetable species,â says Professor Eric Schranz, Professor of Biosystematics at Wageningen University & Research. âMuch of the vegetable biodiversity we need can still be found in traditional varieties and their wild relatives. We urgently need to safeguard this diversity and connect conservation with breeding, use by farmers and healthier diets as the climate changes.â
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