May 22nd is the World Bio-Diversity Day as declared by U.N. This recent need to acknowledge that diversity is important for the collective future of mankind has resulted in such declaration (its merely 11 yrs now). World over the loss of diversity in crops, particularly food crops have been noticed with great concern by scientists and concerned citizens alike. The loss of diversity in food in particular and all crops has resulted in them becoming vulnerable for pest attacks of all kinds and need more fortification in terms of fertilizers and chemical pesticides. A look at the drop in the diversity can be seen in the image (link).
What's all this got to do with human health?, one may ask. Its not just the crops, but, also human health that needs more fortification to sustain life in a mono-cropped world. Children in some many parts of the world today receive 12 times more vaccine than what they received seventy years ago. We have heard so many times during our field interactions when village elders reveal how they ate diverse forms of millets and stayed healthy till old age whereas youngsters brought up in just rice today often are not as strong even in their teens and twenties and fall pray to diabetes in their thirties. Diversity of crops provided the eco-system to withstand diverse types of changes, mono-culture rendered them more vulnerable. Same way, diversity of food provides our bodies better nutrition and good health. Let's celebrate diversity in our food and environment and stay healthy (read more here).