Food

Most of the world's people rely on crops of just 30 plant species in their diet. However, many more species are important food sources - around 7,000 plant species have been used by humans for food.

Tribesman in Burkina Faso, holding Parkia biglobosa seed pods which contain edible pulp and seeds.

Some plants have multiple uses, for example, Parkia biglobosa (right).The seed, fruit pulp and leaves are edible. Pods, leaves and branches are fed to livestock, timber is used for construction work, the tree is planted for shade and as a windbreak and it has many other uses as well, such as an anti-venom for snake bites.

Wild plants form an important 'safety net' for many people when times get tough. People might gather food from the wild to provide alternative sources of food when harvests fail or when sudden expenses, such as hospital bills, have to be met. Wild sources of food are particularly important for the poor to provide a balanced diet.

In addition, the variety of wild plants is important for maintaining agricultural production. Wild relatives of domestic crops (such as the mango) provide genetic variability that can be crucial in breeding programmes aimed at overcoming new types of diseases or environmental stresses.