Small-scale Growers Research Articles

Ex Ante Assessment of Returns on Research Investments to Address the Impact of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 on Global Banana Production.

The spread of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), has been projected to reach 17% of the global banana-growing area by 2040 equaling 36 million tons of production worth over US$10 billion. This potential loss has fueled (inter)national discussions about the best responses to protect production and small-scale growers’ livelihoods. As part of a multi-crop ex ante assessment of returns on research investments conducted by the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (RTB) from 2012 to 2016, four FWB research options were assessed: (i) improved exclusion, surveillance, eradication, and containment (ESEC) measures to reduce Foc TR4 spread, (ii) integrated crop and disease management (ICDM) to facilitate production of partially FWB resistant cultivars on Foc-infested soils, (iii) conventional breeding of FWB-resistant cultivars (CBRC), and (iv) genetically modified (GM) FWB-resistant cultivars (GMRC). Building on a risk index (Foc scale) predicting the initial occurrence and internal spread of Foc TR4 in 29 countries, an economic surplus (ES) model, cost-benefit analysis, and poverty impact simulations were used to assess impact under two adoption scenarios. All options yield positive net present values (NPVs) and internal rates of return (IRRs) above the standard 10% rate. For the conservative scenario with 50% reduced adoption, IRRs were still 30% for ICDM, 20% for CBRC, and 28% for GMRC. ESEC has IRRs between 11 and 14%, due to higher costs of capacity strengthening, on-going surveillance, farmer awareness campaigns, and implementation of farm biosecurity practices, which could be effective for other diseases and benefit multiple crops. The research investments would reach between 2.7 million (GMRC) and 14 million (ESEC) small-scale beneficiaries across Asia/Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America/Caribbean. The options varied in their potential to reduce poverty, with the largest poverty reduction resulting from CBRC with 850,000 and ESEC with 807,000 persons lifted out of poverty (higher adoption scenario). In the discussion, we address the data needs for more fine-grained calculations to better guide research investment decisions. Our results show the potential of public investments in concerted research addressing the spread of Foc TR4 to yield high returns and substantially slow down disease spread.

Resistance of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, to transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1F corn in the Americas: lessons and implications for Bt corn IRM in China.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a major target pest of Bt crops (e.g., corn, cotton, and soybean) in North and South America. This pest has recently invaded Africa and Asia including China and the invasion has placed a great threat to the food security in many countries of these two continents. Due to the extensive use of Bt crops, practical resistance of S. frugiperda to Cry1F corn (TC 1507) with field control problems has widely occurred in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, and the mainland United States. Analyzing data generated from decade-long studies showed that several factors might have contributed to the wide development of the resistance. These factors include (1) limited modes of action of Bt proteins used in Bt crops; (2) cross-resistance among Cry1 proteins; (3) use of nonhigh dose Bt crop traits; (4) that the resistance is complete on Bt corn plants; (5) abundant in initial Cry1F resistance alleles; and (6) lack of fitness costs/recessive fitness costs of the resistance. The long-term use of Bt crop technology in the Americas suggests that Bt corn can be an effective tool for controlling S. frugiperda in China. IRM programs for Bt corn in China should be as simple as possible to be easily adopted by small-scale growers. The following aspects may be considered in its Bt corn IRM programs: (1) use of only "high dose" traits for both S. frugiperda and stalk borers; (2) developing and implementing a combined resistance monitoring program; (3) use "gene pyramiding" as a primary IRM strategy; and (4) if possible, Bt corn may not be planted in the areas where S. frugiperda overwinters. Lessons and experience gained from the global long-term use of Bt crops should have values in improving IRM programs in the Americas, as well as for a sustainable use of Bt corn technology in China.

Effect of Different Colour Shading on Seedling Growth, Fruit Morphology and Phytochemical Properties of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var KWR)

Context: Producing high quality and chemical free tomato would favorably enhance consumer preference. There are most promising findings available on growth and quality attributes of tomato and other plants under different light spectrum in closed house conditions using different light sources. Installment of light emitting devices and running cost with high power consumption might not favorable for commercial cultivators and small scale growers.
 Aim: In present study we used colour transparent sheets such as colourless (control), red, blue, green and yellow as shading material to transmit respective spectrum of light on tomato plants to study the effect.
 Methodology: Tomato seed germination study was done under different colour shading in petri plates. Seedling and plant growth parameters and phytochemical properties of tomato plants grown under different transparent colour shadings were studied such as number of leaves, leaf area, weight of shoot and root, chlorophyll content, ascorbic acid content of fruits, lycopene contents of fruits, fruit physical parameters and flowering.
 Results: Seed germination was significantly high under yellow, colourless and red shading over blue and green. Seedling growth was significantly high under yellow shading. Fruit Ascorbic acid content was positively enhanced by yellow, green and colourless shading, whereas chlorophyll and lycopene content significantly high under green and red. Number of flower setting per plant was high under green shading (40±5.77), whereas lowest under yellow shading (22.33±6.38). Fruit setting significantly high under yellow shading (14±2) and lowest was red (9±1). Blue shading showed significantly high effect on fruit morphological traits such as pericarp thickness and fruit size.
 Conclusion: Yellow colour shading enhances seedling growth and fruit setting of tomato, while green having positive impact on fruit morphology. However, different characters of tomato were differently affected by different colour shading in greenhouse condition and for the better effect appropriate colour shading should be selected at particular stage of growth.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies among Tobacco Small Scale Growers at Kiloleli Village in Sikonge District, Tanzania

Climate change is being discussed regularly at the global level. The study was conducted to evaluate the adaptation strategies of the effects of climate change among tobacco small scale growers at Kiloleni Village in Tabora region, Tanzania. Yamane formula was used to calculate the sample size. Questionnaires and checklists were used as tools for data collection in the field. Secondary data were obtained by reviewing various published and unpublished documents. Data were analysed using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) software. The indicators of climate change on small scale tobacco growers based on the respondents were an increase in temperature, crop wilting, increase in insects, decrease in river water, soil dryness, strong wind, infertility of soil, crop dwindled growth, low rainfall, an increase of diseases, dryness of wells and poor air quality. The identified effects of climate change were drought, floods, hunger, soil erosion, a decrease of area for pasture, death of crops, dryness of river and production is still decreasing and increase of diseases to tobacco. Climate change effects were revealed to be such a burning issue to the small-scale growers that needed strategies to minimize the effects of climate change. Among strategies for reducing the effects of climate change were tree planting as the most useful way of adapting to climate change of all other strategies. The other adaptation strategies to the effects of climate change were drought-resistant crop cultivation, education, agroforestry practices, formulation of bylaws, use of alternative sources of energy and crop rotation. Climate change has shown severe damage to small scale tobacco growers and thus reducing crop yields. This study sets the following recommendations; tree planting, application of agroforestry, education offered by extension officers, formulation of bylaws, also further study is needed and awareness creation on the effect of climate change and the mitigation strategies.

Shared power and fairness in trust-based supply chain relationships in an urban local food system

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate supply chain relationships in an urban local fresh food system from a retailer perspective to examine the types of relationships and the factors underpinning the development of such relationships.Design/methodology/approachUsing the multiple case study method, interview data from twelve urban local fresh food retailers in Sydney were analysed using the thematic analysis.FindingsThis study finds that balanced power relationships in the supply chain allow reasonable power to sit with growers in product price determination irrespective of the dependency of small-scale growers on relatively large local retailers. Trust-based relationships are developed over multiple transactions, where shared values across the supply chain and consistently low opportunistic behaviour in reward sharing are demonstrated to be the crucial factors underpinning close relationships. This study also found evidence of horizontal supply chain linkages among retailers in a competitive environment.Practical implicationsFindings of this study have implications for policymakers in designing urban fresh food systems and for practitioners in large urban retailers including supermarkets that attempt to integrate local food into their product portfolio.Originality/valueThis study extends the local food system literature dominated by rural studies to include new knowledge about the dynamics of collaborations in contemporary urban local fresh food supply chains. It provides the first empirical evidence of lateral inventory transshipment between retailers in a competitive environment confirming previous simulation studies.

Characteristics and attitudes of small-scale vegetable farmers in Chile

ABSTRACT: An adequate supply of fresh, high quality and accessible vegetables is essential for a healthy food system. In Latin America, these are mostly produced by smallholder farmers. The objective of this research was to characterize the productive and commercial development of small-scale vegetable growers and to further understand and explain their attitudes on their business. A total of 335 farmers in Central Chile area were surveyed. The data was processed using descriptive and multivariate techniques. Results showed that farmers have a positive self-assessment of their technical performance, production quality and the contribution of farming to their household income. They express uncertainty about the future, as well as some disappointment with the prices they receive for their produce and their access to public support programs. There are significant differences between farmers within the sample; however, which allow two distinct clusters to be identified: “conformist” (69.05%) and “critical” (30.95%). These results suggested that these small-scale vegetable growers have certain generalizable attitudes and other divergent. The differences in attitudes coincide with differences in objective characteristics, including age, education, farm size and technology.

Feeding a city – Leicester as a case study of the importance of allotments for horticultural production in the UK

The process of urbanization has detached a large proportion of the global population from involvement with food production. However, there has been a resurgence in interest in urban agriculture and there is widespread recognition by policy-makers of its potential contribution to food security. Despite this, there is little data on urban agricultural production by non-commercial small-scale growers. We combine citizen science data for self-provisioning crop yields with field-mapping and GIS-based analysis of allotments in Leicester, UK, to provide an estimate of allotment fruit and vegetable production at a city-scale. In addition, we examine city-scale changes in allotment land provision on potential crop production over the past century. The average area of individual allotment plots used to grow crops was 52%. Per unit area yields for the majority of crops grown in allotments were similar to those of UK commercial horticulture. We estimate city-wide allotment production of >1200 t of fruit and vegetables and 200 t of potatoes per annum, equivalent to feeding >8500 people. If the 13% of plots that are completely uncultivated were used this could increase production to >1400 t per annum, feeding ~10,000 people, however this production may not be located in areas where there is greatest need for increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The citywide contribution of allotment cultivation peaked in the 1950s when 475 ha of land was allotments, compared to 97 ha currently. This suggests a decline from >45,000 to <10,000 of people fed per annum. We demonstrate that urban allotments make a small but important contribution to the fruit and vegetable diet of a UK city. However, further urban population expansion will exert increasing development pressure on allotment land. Policy-makers should both protect allotments within cities, and embed urban agricultural land within future developments to improve local food security.

Factors Affecting Sugarcane Production by Small-Scale Growers in Ndwedwe Local Unicipality, South Africa

Sugarcane is an important crop worldwide due to its many nutritional and economic uses. Small-scale sugarcane growers (SSGs) are a significant sector of sugarcane production in South Africa. However, the number of SSGs is noted to have declined from as early as the 2000s to the present time. As a result of the declining sugarcane production, there are now generally fewer SSGs. However, it is not clear cut as to what caused the decrease in sugarcane production by SSGs. The primary objective of this paper is to determine the factors affecting the sugarcane production by SSGs in Mona and Sonkombo in Ndwedwe Local Municipality. Data collection was through a well-structured questionnaire administered to 100 SSGs (that is, 50 respondents each from the study sites, namely Mona and Sonkombo) that were randomly selected. The paper employs descriptive statistics to describe farm characteristics, and a production function (Cobb–Douglass production function (CDPF)) analysis using the ordinary least squares (OLS) criterion to estimate the parameters affecting sugarcane production. Results show that late harvesting (by up to three (3) weeks), late fertiliser application (by up to six (6) months, and chemicals (Gramoxone) application (by up to five (5) months) were primary challenges facing SSGs, likely to result in declining sugarcane yield. The CDPF regression analysis reveals that significant predictors of the production function are: labour and the amount of chemicals (Gramoxone) applied. Labour (man-days/ha), amount of chemicals (Gramoxone) applied are found to be statistically significant and positively correlated with sugarcane production. The government, through the relevant Department of Agriculture, including the private sector, should intensify out-grower technical services for SSGs to realise higher production per hectare. Such services would ensure optimal allocation and application of inputs, labour and chemicals (herbicides and pesticides), respectively, at the right time to ensure efficacy. There is also a need to introduce buying consortiums for SSGs to reduce the costs of inputs.

Technical and Chemical Input Use Efficiencies of Small-Scale Sugarcane Growers: A Case of Northern KwaZulu-Natal

Technical and Chemical Input Use Efficiencies of Small-Scale Sugarcane Growers: A Case of Northern KwaZulu-Natal

Climate Change Adaptation Options for Maize Growers in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

Almost all countries worldwide are impacted by climate change driven events such as heat waves, droughts, sandstorms and flooding. Being one of the most impacted sector, the agriculture industry needs to develop strategies to adapt to climate change. In semi-arid and arid areas, these strategies should primarily be directed toward small scale growers who are less resilient and more vulnerable. This paper provides climate change adaptation options for maize growers in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon. These options may also suit other arid and semi-arid regions of Africa where small scale farmers predominate. Applying them may result in lesser impacts of adverse climatic events on local populations.

Rubber Production and Marketing with Emphasis on the Small Scale Growers and the Rubber Producer’s Societies ( RPSs): A Literature Review

Rubber Production and Marketing with Emphasis on the Small Scale Growers and the Rubber Producer’s Societies ( RPSs): A Literature Review

Spatial Distribution of Bactrocera dorsalis and Thaumatotibia leucotreta in Smallholder Avocado Orchards along Altitudinal Gradient of Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Avocado (Persea americana) fruits are an important source of income and a nutritious food for small-scale growers and other stakeholders involved in farming along the Afrotropical highlands of Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. Avocado fruits are infested by several insect pests, namely the Asian invasive fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), and the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). However, there is inadequate information on the distribution patterns of these pests in small-scale avocado cropping systems in the East African highlands. This study was initiated to generate a spatial distribution map of B. dorsalis and T. leucotreta in avocado orchards at Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. The two pests were monitored by using their respective parapheromone lures for two years between August 2012 and July 2014. Fruit damage was assessed by computing the proportion of infested fruits for B. dorsalis, whereas the damage score was used for T. leucotreta. Our results indicated that the mean number of B. dorsalis per trap per day differed significantly across elevation, being highest in lowland zone for both Taita Hills (15.90) and Mount Kilimanjaro (24.45). Similarly, the percentage infestation of ground collected fruits by B. dorsalis varied with altitude, being lowest at highlands above 1500 m.a.s.l. (0.66% and 0.83% for Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro, respectively). Conversely, the mean number of T. leucotreta did not vary with altitude in either study area. However, the damage score for T. leucotreta infestation was significantly lower in the highlands of both transects (7.0% and11.1% for Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro, respectively). These findings describe spatial trends that are important in formulating strategies aimed at suppressing the populations of B. dorsalis and T. leucotreta in East African avocado cropping systems.

The Most Frequent Agronomic Practices Used by the Coconut Farmers in the “Coconut Triangle” of Sri Lanka

The study was carried out to identify the most frequently practiced cultural practices by coconut growers in the main coconut growing area termed as “Coconut Triangle”, among a set of technical practices recommended by the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka (CRISL). The objective was also to analyse the impact of these practices to the yield and to analyse the effects of the information sources to the growers to enhance the farmers skills. The study was carried out between June 2018 and August 2018. For the data collection, a questionnaire developed by CRISL was used and 62 growers were randomly selected. All the answers were gathered in a table file. Then, the data were analysed using tabular analysis and the software SPSS. The study reveals that most of the growers are having intercrops between the coconut trees, in large or very small scale even if the yield is lowand needs more space. For the soil moisture conservation around the coconut palm, the majority of the growers use the simple and low-cost technique; mulching around the coconut palms. However, 30.1% of the growers were found to not use any technique to improve the soil moisture even when the drought is a frequent event in the country, but this more valid for small scale growers. To improve their yield, majority of the growers preferred and used CRISL recommended coconut fertilizer mixture (Adult Palm Mixture or APM) over the other commercially available fertilizer mixtures. Finally, the study shows that farmers with large estates are the most involved to follow training programs and apply the advices given by the CRISL.

The Most Frequent Agronomic Practices Used by the Coconut Farmers in the “Coconut Triangle” of Sri Lanka

The study was carried out to identify the most frequently practiced cultural practices by coconut growers in the main coconut growing area termed as “Coconut Triangle”, among a set of technical practices recommended by the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka (CRISL). The objective was also to analyse the impact of these practices to the yield and to analyse the effects of the information sources to the growers to enhance the farmers skills. The study was carried out between June 2018 and August 2018. For the data collection, a questionnaire developed by CRISL was used and 62 growers were randomly selected. All the answers were gathered in a table file. Then, the data were analysed using tabular analysis and the software SPSS. The study reveals that most of the growers are having intercrops between the coconut trees, in large or very small scale even if the yield is lowand needs more space. For the soil moisture conservation around the coconut palm, the majority of the growers use the simple and low-cost technique; mulching around the coconut palms. However, 30.1% of the growers were found to not use any technique to improve the soil moisture even when the drought is a frequent event in the country, but this more valid for small scale growers. To improve their yield, majority of the growers preferred and used CRISL recommended coconut fertilizer mixture (Adult Palm Mixture or APM) over the other commercially available fertilizer mixtures. Finally, the study shows that farmers with large estates are the most involved to follow training programs and apply the advices given by the CRISL.

Impact of Plant Population and Weed Control Methods on the Growth, Yield and Economic Potential of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Cultivation

ABSTRACT: Sugarcane industries are faced with the challenges of reduced cane yield due to inability to ascertain an appropriate sugarcane planting density. Field trials were conducted at Bacita, southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria to examine appropriate planting density and weed control method that can minimize weed infestation in sugarcane field and give an optimum cane yield to improve the economic status of the sugarcane farming community. The experiment was established as a randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement with three replications. The main plot constituted four planting populations (43,200, 64,800, 86,400 and 108,800) plants ha-1 while the sub-plot consisted of six weed control practices (weedy check, pre-emergence application of terbuthylazine at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + three supplementary hoe weeding (SHW), post emergence application of ametryn at 3.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + two SHW., post emergence application of dicamba at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + two SHW., pre emergence application of terbuthylazine at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + post emergence application of 2.4-D at 3.0 kg a.e. ha-1 and monthly hoe weeding). The study revealed that fifteen weed species were encountered as the most prevalent weed species in sugarcane ecology. Plant population of 108,800 plants ha-1 had the lowest weed seedlings population with highest cane yield (216.03 tons ha-1), production efficiency of 9.20% and benefit cost ratio of US$ 9.86 on every US$ 1 spent. This study concludes that, the adoption of 86,400-108,800 plants ha-1 of sugarcane and pre emergence application of terbuthylazine at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + three SHW (for small scale growers) or pre emergence application of Terbuthylazine at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + post emergence application of 2.4-D at 3.0 kg a.e. ha-1 for the commercial estates will minimize weed infestation and make sugarcane cultivation a profitable venture.

A hybrid particle swarm optimization for the generalized assignment problem with time window

This study focuses on the inbound logistics of the sugarcane industry, which has three main procedures consisting of cultivation, harvest and transportation. Generally, small-scale growers cannot manage all of the procedures effectively, because of their lack of bargaining power and inadequate equipment. For this reason a resource-sharing policy, such as harvester and truck sharing, is used by factories to reduce the cost of the sugarcane harvest, and increase harvester and truck utilization. To solve the generalized assignment problem (GAP) with time window, thus minimizing the total cost from the assignment of the third-party logistics providers to service small-scale growers under capacity and time limitations, a mathematical model has been developed for small-sized problems. For large-scale problems, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied and improved by the hybridization of PSO with k-cyclic moves algorithm (PSOK). The results demonstrate that the proposed metaheuristics can solve the problem efficiently since the results are equal to, or close to, the optimal solutions in which the averaged performances of PSO and PSOK are 99.61% and 99.64%, respectively and the averaged relative improvement is 0.1519%.

Perspectives of small-and large-scale cultivation of medicinal, aromatic and spice plants in Slovakia

Slovak Republic (or Slovakia) is a country located in the Central Europe. It lies in the climatically favourable mild zone of Northern Hemisphere. Nowadays, about 200 medicinal plants are used in the official therapy and in popular health medicine, respectively. A wide range of herbs, which are now produced in Slovakia; can be divided into the three broad categories: (a) those collected from the wild (either individually or on commercial scale); (b) contracted supplies from small-scale growers; and (c) large-scale production on agricultural farms. The large-scale cultivation of medicinal plants belongs to the special agricultural production. It is only way of supply the contracted volume and quality of these crops and products. From the current state of medicinal, aromatic and spice plants cultivation in Slovakia, it showed a partial increase of growing areas on arable land [ha], total production [kg] and yield per hectare [kg ha−1]. Presented data were taken directly from the producers from the period of 2010 to 2017. The milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.), mint (Mentha ×piperita L.), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) were the most cultivated medicinal plants from the acreage of arable land viewpoint. The medicinal crop production at the specialized agricultural farms possesses a great importance in offering appropriate job opportunities for unemployed people, better utilization of marginal land resources and economic returns. The important elements for optimal technology of medicinal plants cultivation are: selection of suitable biological material, soil cultivation, seeding and planting, nutrition and fertilization, control of harmful factors (pests, diseases, weeds etc.), harvest, processing and conservation. The long-term aim in the Slovakian production of medicinal, aromatic and spice plants is a targeted expansion of cultivation areas with simultaneous increase in overall yield production as well as quantity of harvested raw material.

Understanding the timber value chain in community-based forestry in Indonesia: Analysis of sengon in central Java

ABSTRACTThe commercial opportunities for sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria L. Nielsen) are expanding rapidly in Indonesia, but there remains a lack of supply for the processing industry of the desired volume and quality of timber for processing from this fast-grown tree. This article discusses recent analysis of the value chain of sengon in Indonesia to determine (i) who the stakeholders were and how each added value, and (ii) how the benefits were distributed among stakeholders. Information was collected from a mix of farmers (as tree growers) and other actors involved in the value chain. The research revealed two broad types of value chains for sengon–‘direct’ and ‘traditional’, with the potential increased income for farmers being as high as 35% when they use the direct approach, compared to the traditional approach. As expected, the further ‘downstream’ the position of the stakeholder in the value chain, the greater the monetary value added to the sengon timber and subsequent products. If farmers were to acquire a greater understanding of the market dynamics for sengon, they could better target the sale of their forest products to specific market segments and make forestry a more profitable enterprise. While village traders in the traditional value chain play an important role connecting small-scale tree growers to commercial markets, the sustained viability of their role is uncertain if more farmers adopt the ‘direct’ approach.

The Perceptions and Attitudes of Small-scale Cane Growers’ Offspring towards Farming and Implications for Sustainability: A Case Study of Kwazulu Natal North Coast, South Africa

ABSTRACTThe inheritance of cane farming by the children of cane farmers is a matter of great concern in Kwazulu Natal Province. This paper seeks to highlight the perceptions of their offspring with...

The benefits of exotic food crops cultivated by small-scale growers in the UK

AbstractExotic crops—plant species grown in relatively small quantities and not traditionally cultivated in a country or region—are often intimately linked with the ethnic origins of their maintainers and are a principal source of culinary and nutritional diversity for many people. Recognizing that a wealth of exotic crop diversity and associated knowledge is held by small-scale growers in the UK, Garden Organic initiated the Sowing New Seeds project to capture and preserve some of this valuable resource by building a seed collection and knowledge base. To establish a sample of this diversity and knowledge, we undertook a survey at 31 allotment sites in the Midlands region of the UK with the objectives of identifying the exotic crops cultivated, characterizing the demography of those who grow them, understanding their direct use values, and assessing their potential indirect use value for the diversification and improvement of other crops. Results reveal that 26% of the food crops recorded are exotic and that they are grown by people belonging to 13 different ethnic groups. The majority save their own seed, indicating that these crops are performing well in the UK, with grower selection providing the basis for their continuing success. Further, most maintainers swap seed with other growers, indicating that exotic crops are likely to be gradually diversifying in response to different growing conditions—a positive sign for their value for local food security and as national genetic resources with potential for use in crop improvement programs. The research highlights the multitude of benefits that growers obtain through cultivating exotic crops, which are not only related to nutrition and culinary requirements, but also to general health and well-being, culture, and a range of other forms of life enrichment. It is critical that growers are encouraged and supported in continuing to cultivate, save and pass on their exotic crops to younger generations, as well as to protect allotments from development in order to maintain this important diversity adapted to local growing conditions. Importantly, many exotic crops currently grown on a small scale may enter into commerce, and thus expand the diversity of the UK's food crop base. Such a shift may be particularly important in the face of the increasingly detrimental impacts of climate change on crop production. We conclude that exotic crop diversity could be more important for future nutrition, health and food security than we currently appreciate.