Two interesting prophecies in the Book of Mormon have impressive fulfillment in the agricultural commodities people and animals around the world consume every day. I am indebted to my friend, Tim S. Evans, for helping me understand just how important New World plant cultivars have become in the diets of billions of people worldwide.
1 Nephi 15:18 says the children of Lehi, as part of the House of Israel, will bless every person on earth in the latter days. 3 Nephi 24:12, echoing Malachi 3:12 but applied to the New World, says all nations will call the Americas blessed because they will be a delightsome land. One important way these prophecies are fulfilled is through the worldwide Columbian Exchange where plants and animals spread from the New World to the Old and vice versa. Some of the most important food crops on earth originated in the New World and have since become staples of life on our planet.
Corn, aka maize, Zea mays, originated in southern Mexico and underwent secondary domestication in southern Central America and northern South America. Today, 1.1 billion tons are produced every year and corn is the most important agricultural commodity on earth.
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| Corn, Number One Food Crop on Earth |
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| Potatoes, Number Four Food Crop on Earth |
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| Cassava, Food Staple for 800 Million Africans |
Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, originated in South America. Today, 187 million tons of tomatoes are produced every year.
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| Tomatoes, Important Food Crop in China and India |
Sweet Potatoes, Ipomoea batatas, originated in Peru. Today, 92 million tons of sweet potatoes are produced every year.
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| Sweet Potatoes, Important Food Crop in China and Africa |
The top 10 food crops on earth are corn, rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, cassava, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains/bananas, and yams. The New World, aka Western Hemisphere, has 13% of the world's population and 27% of the world's land area, but it is the origin of 5 of the top 10 food crops on earth. Lehi's posterity has blessed every human on the planet and the Americas are a blessed, delightsome land.
- Peanuts, aka ground nuts, Arachis hypogaea, originated in South America. Today, 48 million tons of peanuts are produced every year.
- Chili peppers, Capsicum sp., originated in Bolivia with primary domestication in Mexico. Today 45 million tons of chili peppers are produced every year.
- Beans, Phaseolus spp., originated in Central and South America. Today 30 million tons are produced every year.
- Squash/pumpkins, Cucurbita spp., originated in Central America. Today, 16 million tons are produced every year.
- Cacao, Theobroma cacao, originated in South America. Today, 6 million tons are produced every year.
