The Crops That Could Save Our Food System (but we ignore them...)

What if the future of food isn’t high-tech… but ancient wisdom?

We’ve built a global food system on just four crops... and it’s starting to crack!

The real question is: what happens when it breaks?

In this episode of the Deep Seed Podcast, Professor Sayed Azam-Ali (University of Nottingham, Crops For the Future) reveals why the key to resilient, nutritious, and truly sustainable food systems might already exist—hidden in so-called “forgotten crops.”

We unpack how modern agriculture became dangerously dependent on a handful of commodity crops like wheat, rice, maize, and soy—and why this lack of diversity is driving soil degradation, biodiversity loss, climate vulnerability, and hidden hunger.

But this isn’t just a problem story. It’s a roadmap for transformation.

You’ll discover:

Why crop diversity is the foundation of regenerative agriculture and food system resilience

How underutilised crops like Bambara groundnut and fonio can outperform industrial staples in harsh climates

The hidden link between ultra-processed food, micronutrient deficiency, and chronic disease

Why global supply chains (COVID, Ukraine, Suez Canal) exposed the fragility of our food system

How indigenous knowledge and farmer-led innovation hold critical solutions we’re at risk of losing