Potatoes, wheat, losers; Bananas, cowpeas, winners as global climate grows warmer (BBC)
Bananas could replace potatoes in warming world
By Matt McGrath
Science reporter, BBC World Service
Climate change could lead to bananas becoming a critical food source for millions of people, a new report says.
Researchers from the CGIAR agricultural partnership say the fruit might replace potatoes in some developing countries.
Cassava and the little known cowpea plant could play increasingly important roles in agriculture as temperatures rise.
People will have to adapt to new and varied menus as traditional crops struggle say the authors.
Responding to a request from the United Nations' committee on world food security, a group of experts in the field looked at the projected effects of climate change on 22 of the world's most important agricultural commodities.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20126452
= new reply since forum marked as read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantain
In the world, it is considered that there was five places where agriculture took off, each with its own main crop or crops. In the Middle East and spreading to Europe and North China (Sometimes called "Wheat China" for this reason, and later North America is the Wheat and Rye Group. Wheat and Rye can take a lot of Cold Weather (one variation of wheat is called "Winter Wheat", popular in Russia and Asia ,it is the main crop in Afghanistan), you plant it in the Fall, it grows and with the first snow fall stop growing and in the Spring re-starts and is harvested in May and June. Thus Wheat can grow further north then any other main crop which is both is strength and weakness. It is for this reason, Wheat is threatened, it is popular in Egypt, but further south it gets to hot for Wheat.
The second group is Rice, grown in South China (Sometimes called Rice China for that reason), southeast Asia, India and has made its way to the Americas. Rice needs more water then Wheat but is more productive per acre (all other factors being the same). It is a Tropical crop.
The Third Group is Corn (Maize), which is a crop first grown in Mexico. It is a tropical crop, but can grow as far north as the Dakotas, if the season is long enough (Corn needs warmer temperatures longer then wheat, thus corn is rarely gown in Canada, while wheat is popular in Canada). Corn is used in Europe mostly as Cattle feed, but people eat it in the Americas and Africa. Corn is popular in Africa, since it is a tropical crop that does NOT need the water rice requires. Corn can be more productive per acre then Wheat, but not as high as rice (All other factors equal). China grows and consumes a lot of corn for the same reason.
The Fourth Group is Peru and the Potato crop. At the time of the Spanish conquest, Potato was grown on the top of the Mountains, while in the valleys the native tended to grown corn, which had been imported from Mexico by the time of the Spanish Conquest. Potatoes can survive in cold temperatures and being a tubular crop can survive bad weather that can destroy a corn, rye or wheat crop. Potatoes did reach Europe after the Spanish Conquest, but was never popular in Mexico (Mexico was to hot for it). Popular in Germany and Ireland for it was a crop that a farmer could maximize his food production on minimal land (but harder to harvest on a commercial basis then Corn, Wheat, Rye or Rice for it has to be dug up, not a problem for someone just trying to feed his family, but made potatoes a poor commercial crop).
The fifth group is Africa. Tropical Africa adopted Corn late, but only after Africa had developed its own crops, Corn just supplemented those other crops (And one of the reason the Afrikaans claim they arrived in South Africa before the Zulus and other Bantu African tribes. The crops of the Bantu did NOT do well in the dry open fields of South Africa, thus until their adopted wheat and corn (both from the Afrikaans) they could NOT survive in South Africa. Thus the Zulu "Invasion" of the 1800s, due to the fact the Zulus finally had a crop they could grow in South Africa. Anyway the African crops included khat, ensete, noog, teff, finger millet, sorghum and pearl millet.
A sixth group is New Guinea and the Taro plant. It may be the oldest domesticated plant, and has spread world wide, but is a distant sixth to the main crops above.
For more details (But this map downplays the African role, mostly because the crops native to Africa are viewed as less important, then Wheat, Corn and Rice):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution#Agriculture_in_Africa
Just pointing out, cold weather crops, wheat, Rye, Potatoes etc, will have to be planted even further north then Idaho, Maine and Pennsylvania (In Pennsylvania Potatoes is a major crop in the Appalcians Mountains, but it is aimed at the Potato Chip market, while Idaho is geared to French Fries and Maine for traditional Cooked Potatoes). Hot wether crops, Corn, Sorgum and Taro will expand but in dryer parts of the Planet, while Rice will expand as the Wet Tropics expand. Just a movement north of crops not anything more.
Plantain tends to be firmer and lower in sugar content than "dessert" bananas. Bananas are almost always eaten raw, while plantains tend to be cooked or otherwise processed, and are used either when green or unripe (and therefore starchy) or overripe (and therefore sweet).
Your link, plantains.
If the OP meant plantains, then they should have said that, not bananas.
In popular culture and commerce, "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet "dessert" bananas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana
No need for the refresher history lesson, I've already read about it, and had to reread about it.
"
But this map downplays the African role, mostly because the crops native to Africa are viewed as less important, then Wheat, Corn and Rice):"
Maybe because a staple for most of the people on the planet is wheat, corn or rice?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staple_food
Most staple foods are derived either from cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, maize, or rice, or starchy tubers or root vegetables such as potatoes, yams, taro, and cassava.[2] Other staple foods include pulses (dried legumes), sago (derived from the pith of the sago palm tree), and fruits such as breadfruit and plantains.[3] Staple foods may also contain, depending on the region, sorghum, olive oil, coconut oil and sugar.[4][5][6] Most staples are plant materials, but in some communities fishing is the primary source of nutrition.[citation needed]
Seems most on that list aren't from Africa.
PS. Actually, after looking, I would say only one has the possibility of being from Africa.
