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III. Major Crops

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Facts and Figures

  • Excluding trees harvested for wood, 100+ species of plants distributed in 37 families of plants are considered "major crops"; these include 7 species harvested for non-food products (fibre, rubber, industrial oils) (Simmonds, 1976)
  • Another 81+ species distributed in 45 families (including 19 of the families in which Major Crop species are found, and 26 additional families) are considered "Minor Crops".
  • Principal cultivated timber tree species number 31, distributed in 10 genera.
  • 15 crops provide 90% of world's food energy intake (FAO, 1995)
  • Cereals provided 50.2% of of global DES (Dietary Energy Supply) in 1990-92, excluding that fed to livestock; rice, wheat and maize provided 47.6% (FAO, 1996)
  • 44% of global grain production was fed to livestock in 1993 (de Haan et al., 1997);
  • Principal Staple Crops are (FAO, 1995):
    • Cereals: rice, wheat, maize, millet, sorghum
    • Roots and tubers: potatoes, cassava, yams, taro

  • Table 1. World average diet (FAO, 1995, 1996). DES=Dietary Energy Supply

    CROP% of DES
    Wheat23
    Rice26
    Maize7
    Potatoes2
    Sweet Potatoes2
    Millet & Sorghum2
    Sugar cane, sugar beet9
    Soybean Oil3
    Other Veg. Oils6
    Meat, fish, milk, eggs13.5
    Other6.5

    Other crops providing substantial portion of DES on a regional basis include:

    • Beans
    • Banana/Plantain
    • Cassava
    • Pigeon pea
    • Lentils
    • Cowpea
    • Yam
    • Proso millet
    • Fonio
    • Bambara groundnut
    • Ocra
    • Taro/Cocoyam
    • Canihua (Chenopodoium)
    • Breadfruit
    • Amaranthus
    • Buckwheat
    Note:
    -Many more fruits, vegetables and other species including wild plants and weeds contribute to nutrition and dietary diversification
    -Livestock consume many species of legume, grass and other forage types, including leaves from trees, herbs.

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    Cited Literature and Links

    • FAO. 1995. Dimensions of need. An Atlas of Food and Agriculture. FAO, Rome.
    • FAO. 1996. Sixth World Food Survey. FAO, Rome
    • Simmonds, N.W. 1976. Evolution of Crop Plants. Longman, London & New York.
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