SEPTEMBER 2020
The interactive map and circular plots below, created by members at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), explore the geographic orgins of crops from around the world. The map shows what regions certain crops originated from, while the circular plots show the link between where crops were initially domesticated and the crops' importance in food supplies today (measured in calories, protein, fat, food weight, etc.). These tools make it easier to visualize what and how food crops connect different regions of the world.
Use the maps and circular plots to explore some of your favorite foods/crops, and find out information about where they originally came from, what regions they are distributed to, and how they are used by different regions. Explore all the different tabs in the Diet and Production circular plots and try to make sense of what they are trying to say.
Origin of crops | CIAT Blog
by Colin K. Khoury, Harold A. Achicanoy, Carlos Navarro-Racines, Steven Sotelo, and Andy Jarvis at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Version 1.0 (May 2016). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International ( CC BY 4.0).
Students
- After viewing the map above, think about these three questions:
- What do you notice?
- What do you wonder? What are you curious about that comes from what you notice in the map?
- What might be going on in this graph? Write a catchy headline that captures the main idea. If your headline makes a claim, write what you noticed that supports your claim.
- Next, join the conversation by adding to the discussion below. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)
- After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button to address another student directly.