Journal Article

But does it taste good? A plea to consider the importance of flavor in managing plant genetic resources

Hart, Jasmine A., Kantar, Michael B., Banks, Chanda Robinson, Chen, Yolanda H., Chakraborty, Debarati, Layegh‐Nikravesh, Niloofar, Khoury, Colin K., Kraft, Jana, Sassi, Giovanna, Bakir, Melike, Wettberg, Eric J. B., Kretzler, Bailey, Getahun, Tsegaye, Tobin, Daniel, King, Graham J.

2025

Overview

Societal Impact Statement Crop genetic resources, particularly seeds held in ex situ germplasm collections, have enormous value in breeding climate‐resilient crops. Much of this value accrues from information associated with germplasm accessions. Here, we argue that flavor, culinary attributes, and other traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) are important characteristics alongside genomic information and high‐throughput phenotypes. We explore both the value of this information and the potential risks of exploitation of sensitive TEK. We also examine the potential of in situ conservation to preserve not just the genetic diversity of crops, but the TEK associated with them. Summary Crop genetic diversity is essential for meeting the challenges posed to agriculture by a rapidly changing climate. Harnessing that diversity requires well‐organized information, often held by ex situ genebanks and associated databases. However, the characterization of crop germplasm often lacks information on its cultural and culinary background, specifically its flavor or taste. For most crops, characterization data is lacking, but when it is present it is more likely to include whole genome information, high‐throughput estimation of growth characteristics, and chemical profiles indicating flavor rather than details on the dishes for which particular varieties are favored or how smallholder farms have grown particular accessions. This loss of cultural and culinary information, and the broader loss of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), is more than just missing information. It is a loss of legacy when landraces are no longer grown by the communities that developed them. In the face of climate change, TEK has great value for developing more sustainable or resilient practices. And with increasingly global palettes, we must balance consumers enjoying dishes from new crops with the appropriation of culturally meaningful foods. Our aim here is to explore this flavor gap, to understand the risks in sharing data and the benefits of honoring long‐established uses. We emphasize the importance of ensuring the fair representation of diverse peoples in genebanks and consider both ex situ and in situ conservation approaches. Finally, we analyze the impact of modern breeding choices on culinary diversity, emphasizing the preservation of ancestral knowledge and flavor profiles. সামাজিক প্রভাব বিবৃতি: শস্য জিনগত সম্পদ, বিশেষত যে শস্যবীজগুলি ex situ germplasm সংগ্ৰহের অংশ হিসেবে সংরক্ষিত হয়, জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন প্রতিরোধী শস্য প্রজননে তাদের গুরুত্ব অপরিসীম। এই বীজগুলির মূল্যায়ন মূলত করা হয় নির্দিষ্ট germplasm accessionগুলির বিষয়ে উপলব্ধ তথ্যাবলীর ভিত্তিতে। এই গবেষণামূলক প্রবন্ধের মাধ্যমে আমরা যুক্তি দ্বারা প্রমাণ করেছি যে স্বাদ, সুবাস, বিভিন্ন ধরনের রন্ধন বৈশিষ্ট্য ও অন্যান্য পরম্পরাগত পরিবেশজ্ঞান (Traditional Ecological Knowledge/TEK), genetic তথ্য ও high‐throughput phenotype র মতই গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। আমরা এই তথ্যাবলীগুলির মূল্য বিশ্লেষণ করেছি এবং TEKর সংবেদনশীল তথ্যাবলীর শোষণের সম্ভাব্য বিপদের পর্যালোচনা করেছি। এছাড়াও আমরা শস্যের জিনগত বৈচিত্র্য অক্ষুণ্ন রাখার সঙ্গে তাদের সাথে অঙ্গাঙ্গিভাবে জড়িয়ে থাকা TEKগুলিকেও বাঁচিয়ে রাখার জন্য, in situ সংরক্ষণের সম্ভাবনা পরীক্ষা করে দেখেছি ।. Crop genetic resources, particularly seeds held in ex situ germplasm collections, have enormous value in breeding climate‐resilient crops. Much of this value accrues from information associated with germplasm accessions. Here, we argue that flavor, culinary attributes, and other traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) are important characteristics alongside genomic information and high‐throughput phenotypes. We explore both the value of this information and the potential risks of exploitation of sensitive TEK. We also examine the potential of in situ conservation to preserve not just the genetic diversity of crops, but the TEK associated with them.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Agricultural production / climate / climate change / crop genetic resources / Crops / environmental knowledge / Famine / flavor / Flowers & plants / Food / gene banks / Genebank database, taste, crop germplasm / Genebank management / Genetic resources / genetic variation / genome / genomics / Germplasm / Knowledge / landraces / Metabolites / Phenotypes / Plant resources / Research centers / taste