The contemporary globalization of native Amazonian and American plants

Published in "Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services". ISBN : 978-3-947851-20-1 ; Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ; International audience ; This map shows the current global centres of production (in tons) of key crops that originated from native American and Amazonian plants (Beaufort, 2017). Some important Amazonian crops, such as manioc and rubber, are not displayed. The map highlights that many crops originating from agrobiodiverse regions are now used well beyond their centres of origin and domestication; and that the Amazon – often portrayed as the ultimate example of “pristine forest” – is actually a hugely important centre of domesticated nature, contributing significantly to the global agricultural economy. One of the most globally widespread domesticated Amazonian plant genera is Capsicum (pepper; species annum, chinense, and pubescens). Other examples from the Amazon include pineapple (Ananas comosus), papaya (Carica papaya) and peanuts (Arachis hypogeae), which originated in South-West Amazon rainforest. Cocoa is also another globally important plant, which has at least ten different domesticated indigenous varieties scattered across the Amazon rainforest. Many of these cocoa varieties, as with dozens of other varieties of seeds and cultivars, are still managed by local traditional and indigenous groups in the Amazon. (Sources: Beaufort, 2017; FAO, 2014a)