Conservation, Diversity and Use of Mediterranean Legumes

Abstract

Why conserve food and forage legumes? The conservation and use of legume species, and for that matter all biodiversity, is of increasing national and regional importance in the Mediterranean. We need the genetic diversity of peas, chickpeas, lentils and faba beans, as well as the various forage legume species to provide food security for humans and their domesticated animals, both in the Mediterranean region itself and in other regions of the world with Mediterranean climates. This is necessary because ofthe current loss ofecosystems, habitats, species and genetic diversity worldwide, and particularly the Mediterranean region, but also because of the ever present need to feed the increasing human population (Maxted et al., 1997a). There is a catastrophic loss of plant genetic diversity occurring: species, gene combinations and alleles are being lost for perpetuity (Diversity, 1999). This degradation (i.e. genetic erosion) is increasing exponential and shows no signs of abatement. We need to conserve plant diversity because of the direct benefits to humankind that can arise from its exploitation in new agricultural and horticultural crops, the development of medicinal drugs but also because of the pivotal role played by plants in the functioning of all natural ecosystems.