Forgotten Crops Are Back With A Bang!

Forgotten crops, such as ancient grains and many pseudocereals, have been making a comeback due to their high nutritional content. Many of these crops are also ideal alternatives to grains that contain gluten.

- Ursula Human

Their popularity can be attributed to the fact that there is an increased awareness of the importance of producing a greater variety of crops, not just for a more diverse diet, but also to counter the adverse effects of monocropping. According to Future 50 Foods, a report released by the World Wide Fund for Nature and Knorr, 75% of the global food supply originates from only twelve plant species.

This affects human health because it excludes many valuable sources of nutrition, and harms the environment due to the loss of biodiversity, which threatens the resilience of the global food system. Monocropping leaves food production vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as well as crop pests and diseases. In response to this threat, some of the forgotten crops have made their way back into production and therefore people’s diets.

Indigenous sorghum

Sorghum used to be a more widely used staple food in South Africa, where it is an indigenous crop. Even though it has mostly become a popular ingredient in malted beverages such as beer, it is once again making its appearance as high-quality food. Sorghum can be enjoyed as a whole grain in a similar way as rice, or it can be processed into a flour for porridge that is cooked like maize meal. It has a moderate protein content and is high in potassium. It also contains B-vitamins and vitamin E.

Gluten-free teff