ABSTRACT
European agriculture shows a high concentration of acreage and of research and development investment in a few major crops. The rediscovery and reintroduction of neglected and underutilised species is therefore necessary to ensure crop diversification and, as a result, improve the sustainability and resilience of the agricultural system.
Here, we explore three processes by which underutilised crops might be (re)introduced to European agriculture. First, shifting cultivation areas can help diversify the crop basket of regions with low diversity with species common elsewhere. Second, rediscovering crop species abandoned over the course of agricultural modernisation can add value to marginal areas and improve the performance of organic and low-input cropping systems. Third, the cultivation of major crops should be further diversified at the genetic level, with reintroduction of genetic structures alternative to the dominant pure lines or hybrid varieties.
Crop diversification is a complex challenge that needs to overcome technical, economic and legal barriers. Nevertheless, it will be an essential component of a broader transition towards agro-ecological farming and food systems.
