"The purpose of this report is to draw worldwide
attention to traditional African cereals and especially to their
potential for expanding and diversifying African and world food
supplies. Africa is seen by many observers as a basket case—a vast
region incorporating more than 40 nations that appears unlikely to be
able to feed its burgeoning population in the coming years. To many
observers, there seem to be no ready solutions. Some have given up hope
that anything can be done.
What has been almost entirely overlooked, however,
is that throughout that vast continent can be found more than 2,000
native grains, roots, fruits, and other food plants. These have been
feeding people for thousands of years but most are being given no
attention whatever today. We have called them the ''lost crops of
Africa."
Among the 2,000 lost foods are more than 100
native grasses whose seeds are (or have been) eaten. These can be found
from Mauritania to Madagascar. Only a handful are currently receiving
concerted research and development, and even those few are grossly
underappreciated. Our goal is to demonstrate the potential inherent in
these overlooked traditional cereals. Our hope is thereby to stimulate
actions to increase the support for, and use of, the best of them so as
to increase food supplies, improve nutrition, and raise economic
conditions.
It should be understood that most of the plants
described are not truly lost; indeed, a few are well known worldwide. It
is to the mainstream of international science and to people outside the
rural regions that they are "lost." It should also be understood that
it is not just for Africa that the grains hold promise. Several of
Africa's now neglected cereals could become major contributors to the
welfare of nations around the world. This potential is often emphasized
in the following chapters in hopes of stimulating the world community
into serious and self-interested support for these species that now
languish.
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