Origin Of The Worlds Basic Food Plants

Article #5: Origin of the World’s Basic Food Plants

Almost all of the world’s basic food plants originated in a few relatively confined areas of the planet, close to the equator, named Vavilov Centers after the renowned Russian plant breeder and geneticist N. I. Vavilov. Although these areas remain the sole source of all natural food plant varieties, they are rapidly being urbanized, and much of the agricultural land is being planted with patented hybrid seeds developed in Europe and the U.S.

Old World Centers

1 ETHIOPIA
Banana (endemic)
Barley
Castor bean
Coffee
Flax
Khat
Okra
Onion
Sesame
Sorghum
Wheat

2 MEDITERRANEAN
Asparagus
Beet
Cabbage
Carob
Chicory
Hops
Lettuce
Oat
Olive
Parsnip
Rhubarb
Wheat

3 ASIA MINOR
Alfalfa
Almond (wild)
Apricot (secondary)
Barley
Beet (secondary)
Cabbage
Cherry
Date palm
Carrot
Fig
Flax
Grape
Lentil
Oat
Onion (secondary)
Pea
Pear
Pistachio
Pomegranate
Rye
Wheat

4 CENTRAL ASIATIC
Almond
Apple (wild)
Apricot
Broad bean
Cantaloupe
Carrot
Chick pea
Cotton (G. herbaceum)
Flax
Grape (V. vinifera)
Hemp
Lentil
Mustard
Onion
Pea
Pear (wild)
Sesame
Spinach
Turnip
Wheat

5 INDO-BURMA
Amaranth
Betel nut
Betel pepper
Chick pea
Cotton (G. arboreum)
Cowpea
Cucumber
Eggplant
Hemp
Jute
Lemon
Mango
Millet
Orange
Pepper (black)
Rice
Sugar cane (wild)
Taro
Yam

6 SIAM, MALAYA, JAVA
Banana
Betel palm
Breadfruit
Coconut
Ginger
Grapefruit
Sugar cane (wild)
Tung
Yam

7 CHINA
Adzuki bean
Apricot
Buckwheat
Chinese cabbage
Cowpea (secondary)
Kaoliang (sorghum)
Millet
Oat (secondary)
Orange (secondary)
Paper mulberry
Peach
Radish
Rhubarb
Soybean
Sugar cane (endemic)
Tea

New World Centers

8 MEXICO-GUATEMALA
Amaranth
Bean (P. vulgaris)
Bean (P. multiflorus)
Bean (P. lunatus)
Bean (P. acutifolius)
Corn
Cacao
Cashew
Cotton (G. hirsutum)
Guava
Papaya
Pepper (red)
Sapodilla
Sisal
Squash
Sweet potato
Tomato

9 PERU-ECUADOR-BOLIVIA
Bean (P. vulgaris)
Bean (P. lunatus)
Cacao
Corn (secondary)
Cotton
Edible roots (oca, ullucu, arracacha, añu)
Guava
Papaya
Pepper (red)
Potato (many species)
Quinine
Quinoa
Squash (C. maxima)
Tomato

10 SOUTHERN CHILE
Potato
Strawberry (Chilean)

11 BRAZIL-PARAGUAY
Brazil nut
Cacao (secondary)
Cashew
Cassava
Mate
Para rubber
Peanut
Pineapple

12 UNITED STATES
Sunflower
Blueberry
Cranberry
Jerusalem
Artichoke