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A crop wild relative inventory for Southern Africa: a first step in linking conservation and use of valuable wild populations for enhancing food security

Part of: Crop Wild Relatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 January 2019

E. Allen ,
H. Gaisberger ,
J. Magos Brehm ,
N. Maxted ,
I. Thormann ,
T. Lupupa ,
M.E. Dulloo  and
S.P. Kell
E. Allen*
Affiliation:
Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, Maccarese (Rome), Italy
H. Gaisberger
Affiliation:
Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, Maccarese (Rome), Italy
J. Magos Brehm
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
N. Maxted
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
I. Thormann
Affiliation:
Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, Maccarese (Rome), Italy
T. Lupupa
Affiliation:
SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Private Bag CH 6, Lusaka, Zambia
M.E. Dulloo
Affiliation:
Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, Maccarese (Rome), Italy
S.P. Kell
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: cultivatethewild@gmail.com
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Abstract

Successful conservation strategies require that taxa are prioritized because resources for planning and implementation are always limited. In this study, we created a partial checklist of crop wild relatives (CWR) that occur in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and identified the taxa of highest priority for regional conservation planning based on their importance for food and economic security. We found that the region contains over 1900 wild relatives of species cultivated for food, beverages, ornamental, forage/fodder, forestry, medicinal, environmental and other uses. Prioritization of these species was based on two criteria: (i) the value of the related crop for human food and economic security in the region and/or globally, and (ii) the potential or known value of the wild relatives of those crops for crop improvement. The region contains 745 CWR species related to 64 human food and beverage crops that are of high socioeconomic importance and 100 of these are of immediate priority for conservation action. The results of this study show that the SADC region contains a wealth of CWR diversity that is not only of value for food and economic security within the region but also globally. Furthermore, this study represents the first step in developing a CWR conservation and sustainable use strategy for the region, where its implementation would contribute to food security and well-being.

Keywords

crop wild relativeconservation planningfood securityprioritization criteria and methodsSouthern Africa
Type
Research Article
Information
Plant Genetic Resources , Volume 17 , Special Issue 2: Crop Wild Relatives , April 2019 , pp. 128 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © NIAB 2019 

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Footnotes

†

Current address: Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, 53179 Bonn, Germany.

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