BY VIRGINIA GEWIN, Posted in Civil Eats on: August 19, 2020
Perennial agriculture—including agroforestry, silvopasture, and the development of perennial row crops such as Kernza—has come to prominence in recent years as an important part of the fights against soil erosion and climate change. Not only do perennial plants develop longer, more stabilizing roots than annual crops, but they’ve also been shown to be key to sequestering carbon in the soil.
Although perennial vegetables may not become widely planted crops anytime soon, they could play a valuable role in making the food system more resilient. The goal is not to find a single “superfood” within the perennial vegetable list, says Leisner. Rather, she adds, “we should take a more holistic view focusing on highly nutritious crops that are resilient to shifting temperatures, those able to grow on marginal lands or as part of agroforestry.” Leisner adds that it puts a lot of emphasis on a small number of plant families, but that more research is needed into orphan crops—those species that receive little to no attention from researchers—to mitigate climate change and support our growing population.
