Food plant diversity in a rapidly changing world

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.