Where our food comes from?
Did you know that more than two thirds of the national crops originated elsewhere?
Humans have been selecting and growing crops for specific traits since the origins of agriculture some 10,000 years ago, shaping where and what crops are grown today.
Our food system is now fully global, with many of the world’s leading producers of staple crops located in countries far from their historical origins. For example, Brazil is now the world’s largest producer of soybeans, even though the crop is native to East Asia.
The previous infographic of Potash from Brazil shows the historical origins of crops before they were domesticated around the world and the main producers of our staple crops today.
Staple crop producers today
Staple crops are those most routinely grown and consumed. These may vary between countries depending on availability.
In 2020, sugarcane, corn, wheat and rice accounted for around 50% of global crop production.
But when the production and distribution of staple crops are threatened, the consequences can be felt globally. Let’s take a look at the countries that made the top three producers of some of our staple crops in 2020.
| Crop | Country | Percentage of world production |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar cane | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 40.5% |
| Sugar cane | 🇮🇳Indian | 19.9% |
| Sugar cane | 🇨🇳Chinese | 5.8% |
| Corn | 🇺🇸US | 30.9% |
| Corn | 🇨🇳Chinese | 22.4% |
| Corn | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 8.9% |
| Wheat | 🇨🇳Chinese | 17.6% |
| Wheat | 🇮🇳Indian | 14.1% |
| Wheat | 🇷🇺Russia | 11.3% |
As you can see from the data above, Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane and one of the top three producers of corn.
The future of food safety
Global food security depends on staple crops and the countries that produce them. As the world population increases, so does the need to produce more crops.
The FAO estimates that by 2050 the world will need to increase its food production in about 70% with the purpose of food a constantly growing population.
The first food security solutions were the transplantation of crops from other regions to supplement diets. Now, crop yields must increase as the next evolution to strengthen our food security. fertilizers they are a vital step in this process and are an essential ingredient in the future of global food security. They provide vital nutrients that increase crop production and strengthen nutritional security.
Brazil Potash extracts the vital potash mineral from the soil to return to the soil as fertilizer, fortifying foods and helping to sustain continued growth in the agricultural sector.
Click here to learn more about fertilizer and food production in Brazil.
