Most of the World's food supply, about 90 percent, comes from just 15 plant and 8 animal species.

About 80 percent of the total calories consumed by humans come directly or indirectly from just six kinds of plants:

• wheat
• rice
• maize
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• manioc

The first three are cereal plants and next three are starchy staples. All are rich in carbohydrates but do not provide a complete, well-balanced diet. They are usually eaten with legumes, which are rich in protein and with leafy vegetables.

In addition to the 6 major food crops, there are 8 plants of significant imporance to human diets:

• barley
• common bean
• soybean
• sorghum
• coconuts
• bananas
• sugarcane
• sugarbeet

At the same time, ethnoboanical data suggest that some 7,000 of the approximately 250,000 plant species have been used by humans for food. These should provide us a basis for developing a much broader array of plant crops and products and increase the prospect of a more sustainable system of agriculture.

Some animals in order of importance as food:

Pig

Cattle

Poultry (chickens, ducks, and turkeys)

Sheep

Goat

Water Buffalo

Horse

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The Green Revolution:

Irrigation

Fertilizers

Pesticides

Disease Resistance

Genetic Diversity

Monoculture

Sustainable Agriculture

Germplasm

Seed Banks

Alternative Crops

Genetic Engineering

Pest resistance

Herbicide resistance

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SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Soil Conservation

Providing ground cover

Managing Topography

Reduced Tillage

Low Input Sustainable Systems

Conservation of Genetic Resources