Staple crops and the nations that produce them are essential to ensuring global food security. Here’s a map of where exactly our food comes from.
Did you know that more than two-thirds of our national crops originated elsewhere?
Since the dawn of agriculture 10,000 years ago, humans have been picking and producing crops for specific features, influencing where and what crops are farmed today.
However, as Tessa di Grandi of Visual Capitalist explains below, today’s food system is entirely global, and several of the top producers of staple foods are found in nations that are not their traditional home. For instance, despite the crop’s origins in East Asia, Brazil is currently the world’s top producer of soybeans.
The Brazil Potash infographic below outlines the historical beginnings of crops before they were domesticated all across the world, as well as the major current producers of our staple commodities.
Producers Of Staple Crops Today
The crops that are planted and consumed on a regular basis are called staple crops. Depending on what is available, these can differ between nations.
Sugarcane, maize, wheat, and rice accounted for around 50% of the world’s crop production in 2020.
However, when the distribution and production of staple crops are in jeopardy, the effects are felt all over the world. Let us examine the top three nations in 2020 for production of several of our staple crops.
Brazil is the world’s largest source of sugarcane and one of the top three producers of maize, as seen by the statistics above.
The Future of Food Security
Staple crops and the nations that produce them are essential to ensuring global food security. The demand to raise more crops grows as the world’s population goes up.
According to the FAO, in order to feed a population that is constantly expanding, the globe will need to raise food production by almost 70% by the year 2050.
Transplanting crops from other locations to supplement diets was one of the earliest food security options. The next step in improving our food security is to raise agricultural yields. This process requires fertilizers, which are also a crucial component in the future of world food security. They offer essential nutrients that boost crop production and improve food security.
Brazil Potash mines essential potash ore from the earth so that it can be recycled as fertilizer, enhancing food, and supporting agricultural industry growth.
One Response
Whoever pasted those crappy graphics that are unreadable into this post, did a crappy job.