The Value of Native Plants and Local Production in an Era of Global Agriculture

For addressing potential food shortages, a fundamental tradeoff exists between investing more resources to increasing productivity of existing crops, as opposed to increasing crop diversity by incorporating more species. Authors explore ways to use local plants as food resources and the potential to promote food diversity and agricultural resilience. They discuss how use of local plants and the practice of local agriculture can contribute to ongoing adaptability in times of global change. They also discuss the advantages, obstacles, and risks of using local plants. Finally, authors provide a list of edible native plants, and synthesize the state of research concerning the potential and challenges in using them for food production. The goal of their synthesis is to support more local food production using native plants in an ecologically sustainable manner.