Increasing crop diversity

Many developing countries are trying to promote agricultural diversification among smallholders because they feel that smallholders are too dependent upon a narrow range of crops.

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends promoting crop diversification in agricultural systems, including new plants with potential value as food crops.