Conservation of Wild Food Plants and Crop Wild Relatives: Planning, Strategies, Priorities, and Legal Frameworks

Abstract

Wild food plants (WFPs) are nutritionally rich and are consumed by the indigenous communities whereas crop wild relatives (CWRs) are the wild relatives of the domesticated crops with huge role in crop improvement. These plants are not only a source of macro and micronutrients, but also carry important traits which can be utilized for crop improvement programs. WFPs and CWRs have higher levels of environmental stress tolerance as compared to their cultivated relatives. CWRs can act as a donor of various abiotic and biotic stress tolerant genes and some of them are superior in micro and macro nutrients. The effective utilization of WFPs for crop improvement can revolutionize crop breeding research. WFPs are locally important as they provide nutritional security to consumers since they can grow in harsh ecological and environmental conditions. For these reasons, the potential of WFPs and CWRs is increasingly realised. At the same time, WFPs and CWRs face various threats due to anthropogenic and environmental stresses. Several studies have reported the loss of CWRs which is not good for the planet. Therefore, loss in their biodiversity should be arrested and their conservation deserves utmost importance. The habitats of WFPs are also endangered due to several anthropogenic and climate associated changes. This chapter mainly focuses on the importance of the protection of WFPs and CWRs at the global, national, local, and regional levels by effective planning, employing suitable strategies, and framing priorities based on multiple criteria. Priority-based conservation strategies and legal frameworks to ensure their protection are also briefly discussed in this chapter. The preference for the conservation of WFPs is based on their socio-economic value and potential uses. Protection is mainly through in-situ and ex-situ methods. Coordination between different in-situ and ex-situ conservation methods, and modifying legal frameworks based on regional requirements with proper utilization of WFPs would be the most sustainable way to meet global food demands.