11 Crops That Can Diversify The World's Diet

Danielle Nierenberg

Danielle Nierenberg 

Around the world, there are about 300,000 edible plant species—but you wouldn’t know it from looking at our diets.

Humans only actually eat about 200 of them, and just three—rice, maize, and wheat—account for a staggering 60 percent of the calories and protein we obtain from plants, according to the U. N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

From an agrobiodiversity perspective, vegetables are in an even more precarious position. Less than 10 percent of crop varieties in genebanks are vegetable varieties, and crops and vegetables from across Africa are particularly underrepresented, according to Maarten van Zonneveld, Head of Genetic Resources at the World Vegetable Center. And agrobiodiversity, both across an ecosystem and within specific species’ genetics, is central to improving food security, making crop production more resilient and less impactful to climate, and combatting plant disease and soil infertility, among other benefits. 

“There’s an urgent need to rescue (and) conserve African vegetable biodiversity so that we can use it to address malnutrition,” van Zonneveld says.

This is why I’m so excited to see the development of the African Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan, which was announced last year at the Africa Food Systems Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. It’s part of the broader Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) program, a really transformative initiative spearheaded by Dr. Cary Fowler.

The Rescue Plan is a 10-year initiative—2025 to 2035—aimed at bringing more resources and attention to native crops in Africa and unlocking the potential of African vegetable biodiversity. The World Vegetable Center, which is leading the project, points out that these ‘forgotten’ food crops could go a long way toward supporting more climate-resilient and healthful food systems in sub-Saharan Africa, addressing hunger and malnutrition, and helping farmers and producers feed their communities affordably.

“Effects of climate change—like droughts, floods, and urbanization—pose the most danger to Indigenous African vegetable varieties. This rescue plan is an opportunity to bring other stakeholders in this response to save our vegetable species,” says Gabriel Rugalema, Associate Director General for Africa at the World Vegetable Center.

These crops have been central to food systems of the past—and they’ll be at the forefront of the food systems of the future, too! So let’s get to know some of these ‘opportunity crops’ that can be our allies in the effort to build stronger, climate-proof food systems around the world:

African Nightshade (genus Solanum)

Crops in this genus—particularly Solanum scabrum—have been used for centuries across Sub-Saharan Africa for nutritious and pharmacological purposes. The vegetable is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, carbohydrates, carotenoids, minerals, and proteins, and it’s often served fried, dried, or fermented.

Amaranth (multiple species)

Amaranth is already one of the most commonly consumed indigenous vegetables in Kenya and Tanzania, and it can be used in multiple beneficial ways. The amaranth grain, which can be consumed on its own or used to fortify other grains and flours, is rich in protein, lysine, and calcium. And the leaves, which are commonly boiled or fried, are rich in vitamin C, iron, and zinc.

Celosia (Celosia argentea)

Celosia has distinctive flower spikes reminiscent of colorful wheat and is used for both food and ornamentation. It has a soft texture and mild taste, and it’s particularly tolerant to a variety of harsh growing conditions. Leaves are often used in soups and stews across Nigeria, Benin, and Congo, and they’re high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins, and protein.

Drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera)

Other names for drumstick trees include “the Miracle Tree” and “the Tree of Life”—clues as to why the protein- and antioxidant-rich tree has been used for centuries for both nutrition and healing. The tree’s flowers are used to make tea; young leaves, stalks, and pods can be eaten as vegetables; and mature seeds can be roasted like peanuts or ground into powder as an antibacterial water purifier. 

Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius)

This leafy green vegetable, also used as a fiber crop, is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and is highly adaptable to stressful agricultural conditions. The leaves, which are commonly cooked as a vegetable or dried to thicken soups, are rich in vitamins A, B6 and C, potassium, iron, folate, dietary fiber, and other antioxidants.

Kei Apple (Dovyalis affra)

Kei apples, originating in South Africa, are highly nutritious fruits that are used to make jams, jellies, juices, and wine. And the trees they grow on are able to remain productive in adverse conditions like drought, frost, and high saline levels, and they help build biodiversity by attracting birds, baboons, antelope, and monkeys. 

Kersting’s groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum)

This legume is high in minerals and crude fiber and low in fat, and it’s grown by smallholder farmers across West Africa for its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and boost soil fertility. Culinarily, it’s used as a grain legume in a variety of local dishes, and the plant itself is also fairly resistant to climatic stresses.

Loufa gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca) 

The Loufa gourd is grown widely in Nigeria and found across tropical and subtropical Africa. Young gourds are edible both raw and cooked and contain a variety of compounds that support metabolic health and offer anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Tougher mature gourds are particularly useful as sponges, packing materials, air filters, and shoe soles.

Malabar spinach (Basella alba)

This leafy green vegetable thrives in hot weather and grows very quickly. Although it’s not actually closely related to common spinach, Malabar spinach can also be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves can also be used as a thickener, and both the leaves and stems are good sources of Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. 

Spider plant (Cleome gynandra)

Despite its similar English name, this particularly drought-tolerant leafy green herb is not related to a common houseplant. This spider plant, also occasionally called spiderwisp or African cabbage, grows highly nutritious leaves that researchers say can contribute to food security, and its seeds contain oils that naturally repel insects.

Yambean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa)

A highly versatile member of the legume family, the yambean is commonly eaten for its seeds in West Africa and as a tuber vegetable in East and Central Africa. Because it’s abundant in vitamins and minerals, yambeans can be used to fortify other foods and alleviate malnutrition.

Now, I have a challenge for Food Tankers around the world: Bring agrobiodiversity into your kitchen by cooking with an ingredient you’ve never used before! Even if you can’t find these specific crops, maybe your local stores carry a vegetable you’ve never bought or grains like fonio or millet. Diversifying our own diets with climate-smart foods is an important first step toward changing the broader food system!

Please email me at danielle@foodtank.com to let me know what ingredients you’re finding, how you’re diversifying your own diets, and what ideas you have to help more folks learn about and appreciate some of these ‘opportunity crops’ we’re introducing today.

(Danielle Nierenberg is the President of Food Tank and can be reached at danielle@foodtank.com)