Preface

Conservation and genetic diversity in crops are essential elements of sustainable solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and livelihood improvement. Unsustainable use of natural resources, promotion of genetically uniform varieties over local varieties, introduction of alien invasive species, changing human consumption patterns, lack of or inappropriate legislation and policy, and climate change all threaten crop diversity.

Food safety has long been associated with abundant main crops producing cereal, roots and tubers, vegetables, and fruits to supply affordable nutrient energy sources. However, this image has changed as the concept of nutritional security has become an important component of food safety, and food diversity has become the fundamental component of human health.

In both extreme wild and trade forms, conceptualizations appear clear in the broad range of plant materials regarding domestication and/or reproduction. Wild plants are not domesticated or subject to artificial selection and reproduction processes. They do not show any typical crop features, such as uniform germination of seeds and fruit maturation. Commercial varieties are produced by a breeding program to improve certain features of the crop.

This book is a handbook of conservation and genetic diversity in plants and animals. A chapter on maize (*Zea mays ssp. mays*) summarizes its wild relatives/landraces and the genetic gain over time in biotic/abiotic, productivity, and nutritional quality traits. Maize is a crop of global significance, used as human food, animal feed, and in various industrial products. It is an essential source of calories and protein for livestock in developing countries.

One of the chapters discusses Coffee landraces. The popular drink is a primary contributor to annual revenue and employment on four continents and in many emerging nations. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the growth of the mass consumer market in the United States transformed it into an industrial product due to the acceleration in coffee production in Brazil.

Their domestication history has been a concern for our domesticated animals for many years. A major area of research is the considerably earlier development of domestic species. The Bovidae family (e.g., cattle, sheep, and caprine) has a less phylogenic nature. In Southeast Asia, about 50 million years ago, the now-extinct Hypertragulidae were the first identifiable primitive ancestor. Livestock agriculture is a profitable agricultural enterprise and a vital income-enhancement activity.

> **Amr Elkelish** Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

Section 1

Plant Landrace

**1**

Section 1 Plant Landrace

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

sustainable use

**1. Introduction**

**3**

and Nutrition

modern techniques, to achieve these aims.

further damage to the environment.

On-Farm Crop Diversity

for Advancing Food Security

*Bonnie Furman, Arshiya Noorani and Chikelu Mba*

In 2019, nearly 690 million people were hungry, indicating that the achievement of Zero Hunger by 2030 is *not* on-track. The enhanced conservation and use of crop diversity, which demonstrably improves farm productivity and hence food security and nutrition, could be one of the solutions to this problem. The broadening of the inter- and intra-specific diversity of crops contributes to dietary diversification and nutrition and improves the resilience of production systems to shocks, especially the biotic and abiotic stresses attributed to climate change. Examples of successful interventions that resulted in enhanced on-farm crop diversity are provided. Relevant tools and guidelines to strengthen national capacities for the enhanced on-farm management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are also highlighted. Guidance, based primarily on the *Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture*, is presented to enable the conservation of farmers' varieties/landraces, their genetic improvement and seed delivery systems; promote their cultivation, consumption and marketing; develop and implement policies; foster partnerships and strengthen requisite institutional and human capacities. Finally, the case is made for research and development, including using

**Keywords:** plant genetic resources, farmers' varieties, landraces, conservation,

The most recent edition of the report on the *State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Worl*d [1] contains very worrying statistics: nearly 690 million people are hungry, i.e. 8.9 percent of the world's population! This represents an increase of 10 million people in a single year and nearly 60 million in five years. In fact, in 2019, close to 750 million – about one in ten people in the world – were exposed to severe levels of food insecurity. Conversely, the incidence of overweight children and adult obesity continues to rise [1]. Thus, the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger by 2030 [2]. Should recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger will surpass 840 million by 2030. It is crucial, therefore, to find effective, sustainable solutions to address hunger. As implicit in the Agenda 2030 [2], the eradication of hunger and malnutrition must be achieved through sustainable means, especially those that preclude
