Ancient Grains

▪ 2006

      In June 2005 scientists in Israel announced that they had grown the oldest-ever plant, using the 2,000-year-old seed of a long-extinct Judean palm tree, in the hope of studying its reputed medicinal properties. The project reflected growing interest in plant species outside mainstream agriculture that were gaining recognition for their powerful nutritional benefits, importance to a balanced diet, and role in maintaining biodiversity. In the forefront were so-called ancient grains, many with venerable histories stretching back to long-lost civilizations, that had fallen into obscurity but were now making a comeback among Western consumers who were health conscious and eager for exotic new tastes.

 Amaranth, extolled as an elixir by the Aztecs, showed up in European and North American cereals, breads, and crackers, and quinoa, a staple of the Inca Empire, emerged as an increasingly popular rice or potato replacement in salads and casseroles or as a side dish. Both ancient grains packed more protein than wheat, and amaranth and teff, an ancient grain from Ethiopia, were touted as gluten-free wheat substitutes for those with wheat allergies.

      New U.S. health guidelines issued in January 2005 recommending three daily servings of whole grains did not hurt demand for heirloom grains. Food manufacturers used spelt and kamut, ancient relatives of wheat originating in the Middle East and North Africa, respectively, and millet, first cultivated thousands of years ago in Africa, in whole grain cereals and baked goods.

      The rediscovery of these grains by Western consumers was only part of the story, however. They were also championed in international development efforts. A series of reports from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences begun in the mid-1970s and including Lost Crops of Africa, Volume I: Grains (1996) identified and recommended underused crops, especially amaranth and sorghum, appropriate for developing economies. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), some 840 million people still remained undernourished worldwide, and underutilized crops, including ancient grains, were identified as a key weapon in banishing hunger.

      Quinoa and millet grow in harsh conditions, and these and other grains are rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are typically missing in diets overreliant on staples such as rice, wheat, and corn (maize), which constitute 60% of worldwide calorie consumption. The FAO estimated that three-quarters of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops was lost during the past century. Moreover, a report published in February 2005 by the University of California found crop gene banks that were conserving seeds to be in a parlous state, suffering underfunding and neglect. Gene banks had proved vital in reconstructing agriculture in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as areas in Asia affected by the 2004 tsunami. In October 2004 the Global Crop Diversity Trust, a UN-backed fund dedicated to providing stable funding for maintaining crop diversity collections worldwide, was launched. The importance of preserving agricultural biodiversity, the University of California report noted, was underscored by recent threats to staples in the U.S., where an epidemic of Fusarium head blight had damaged wheat and barley yields and a soybean rust outbreak had affected soybean harvests.

Stephen Philips

* * *