The world is precariously dependent on just a handful of staple food crops – we must diversify

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Just six crops account for 75 per cent of the world's plant-derived energy intake. These underused foods could help to end malnutrition

Article originally published by The Telegraph. Hargreaves Lansdown is not responsible for its content or accuracy and may not share the author's views. News and research are not personal recommendations to deal. All investments can fall in value so you could get back less than you invest.

Published by

24 Oct 2023

The underlying reason why the war in Ukraine has had such a significant impact on global food security is because the world is precariously dependent on only a handful of staple food crops.

Just six crops – rice, wheat, maize (or corn), potato, soybeans, and sugarcane – account for more than 75 per cent of total plant-derived energy intake globally.

So, there is no wonder that the conflict between major exporters of wheat and maize has contributed to rising levels of food insecurity. New UN figures indicate that around 735 million people are currently facing hunger, an increase of 122 million from 2019.

More worrisome than the rise in overall hunger, though, is the increase in rates of malnutrition, especially the rising level of micronutrient deficiencies – a more complex challenge that contributes to stunting and wasting in young children, and prevalence of anaemia in women and adolescent girls.

And yet,