{"id":4799,"date":"2009-08-12T12:50:37","date_gmt":"2009-08-12T18:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=4799"},"modified":"2009-08-12T12:50:37","modified_gmt":"2009-08-12T18:50:37","slug":"why-wheat-has-been-an-orphan-crop-and-why-it-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/why-wheat-has-been-an-orphan-crop-and-why-it-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Wheat Has Been an “Orphan Crop” and Why it Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wheat<\/a><\/p>\n

I read an article today about a major shortfall in the Kenyan wheat harvest<\/a> that will drive the need for major imports to meet food needs. \u00a0There were three major factors behind this\u00a0disappointing\u00a0harvest. \u00a0Tight credit and high energy prices kept some growers from even planting. \u00a0The rains were not well timed to achieve good yields. \u00a0Also a new strain of a very serious wheat disease, UG99 Stem Rust<\/a>, further reduced yields.<\/p>\n

This news has nudged me to write a series of posts about wheat because as a crop, it has a lot more problems than one bad harvest in Kenya. \u00a0The Kenya example just stands as an example of the vulnerability of this extremely important world food crop-a crop that is really an “orphan<\/a>” in today’s agricultural scene.<\/p>\n

Wheat Today<\/h3>\n

Wheat is one of the world’s largest food crops<\/a>, but it is at a disadvantage compared to other major crops and its productivity growth is leveling-off at a time when the world is demanding more and more of it (see graph below). \u00a0This becomes an issue for the sustainability of the food supply<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Wheat<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I’ll list the reasons I call Wheat an “orphan crop” below and expand on most of them in future posts.<\/p>\n

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