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Global relationships between crop diversity and nutritional stability

Author

Listed:
  • Charlie C. Nicholson

    (Lund University
    University of California)

  • Benjamin F. Emery

    (University of Vermont
    Sandia National Laboratories)

  • Meredith T. Niles

    (University of Vermont
    Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont
    University of Vermont
    University of Vermont)

Abstract

Nutritional stability – a food system’s capacity to provide sufficient nutrients despite disturbance – is an important, yet challenging to measure outcome of diversified agriculture. Using 55 years of data across 184 countries, we assemble 22,000 bipartite crop-nutrient networks to quantify nutritional stability by simulating crop and nutrient loss in a country, and assess its relationship to crop diversity across regions, over time and between imports versus in country production. We find a positive, saturating relationship between crop diversity and nutritional stability across countries, but also show that over time nutritional stability remained stagnant or decreased in all regions except Asia. These results are attributable to diminishing returns on crop diversity, with recent gains in crop diversity among crops with fewer nutrients, or with nutrients already in a country’s food system. Finally, imports are positively associated with crop diversity and nutritional stability, indicating that many countries’ nutritional stability is market exposed.

Suggested Citation

  • Charlie C. Nicholson & Benjamin F. Emery & Meredith T. Niles, 2021. "Global relationships between crop diversity and nutritional stability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-25615-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25615-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew C. LaFevor & Aoife K. Pitts, 2022. "Irrigation Increases Crop Species Diversity in Low-Diversity Farm Regions of Mexico," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Ramakrishnan, Rajeev & Rajendrakumar, S. & Kothurkar, Nikhil K., 2024. "Regional sustainability of the Kattunayakan tribe in Kerala, India through the enhancement of agricultural, livestock, and livelihood options," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

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