Erosion of some of the most vital resources for human survival goes on with no notice from the public and very little attention from the scientific community, which should be better informed. The germ plasm base required for improvement of the basic food crops that feed the world is being rapidly destroyed. This destruction of genetic resources is caused primarily by the very success of modern plant breeding programs.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Jack R. Harlan (1972) studied this question.