WorldVeg: Scientists Call for Global Effort to Rescue Disappearing Vegetables

27 July 2026

An international team of scientists is calling for a global effort to rescue, conserve and make better use of vegetable biodiversity, warning that modern food systems are becoming increasingly dependent on a small number of widely grown vegetable crops.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers highlight spider plant in Africa, bitter gourd in Asia and slippery cabbage in the Pacific as examples of overlooked vegetable crops that could help improve diets and strengthen agriculture against climate change.

The researchers use the term vegetable biodiversity to describe the full range of vegetable species, traditional varieties and their wild relatives. The findings reinforce the case for Vegetables4Life, a global initiative led by WorldVeg and co-led by the Crop Trust to rescue, conserve and use vegetable biodiversity. Read more about how Vegetables4Life was conceived in The Bellagio effect: Global initiative for vegetable biodiversity takes root.

The paper’s findings come as people worldwide consume nearly 40% fewer vegetables than recommended by the World Health Organization, global production remains insufficient to meet recommended intake, and low vegetable consumption is among the five leading dietary risk factors contributing to the global burden of disease. The United Nations recently warned that more than one in three people cannot afford a healthy diet, highlighting the need to make foods such as vegetables more affordable and accessible.

But according to the researchers, simply producing more of today’s most common vegetables will not be enough. They argue that many traditional and underused vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, well-adapted to local growing conditions and valued in local food cultures. Their diverse varieties and wild relatives also contain characteristics that can be used to develop vegetables better able to withstand heat, drought, pests and diseases.

An Overlooked Resource

The researchers identify more than 1,480 edible vegetable species worldwide, though they say the true number is likely to be even higher. As described in the paper’s Figure 1, on Global Food Group Metrics (below), many are poorly researched and underused despite their importance in local diets and farming systems. 

 

“Vegetable biodiversity is one of the world’s greatest assets for improving diets and adapting agriculture to a changing climate,” said Dr Colin Khoury, Global Conservation Lead at the Crop Trust. “But we’re losing it at exactly the time we need it most. Conserving vegetable biodiversity isn’t just about protecting the past – it’s about securing more options for the future.”

Read the full press release

Categories: For The Press, For Policymakers