Abstract

In January 2024, the New York Times published an article called “A Revolutionary Way to Feed the World That’s Very Old.” The authors spotlighted a new push by the US State Department to promote a return to traditional crops in Africa. Many of these crops – like pearl millet and sorghum – are both resilient to climate change and nutrient dense. Even though their cultivation has decreased substantially in recent decades, some experts predict that African foods will be the next global “superfoods,” raising questions about who will benefit. In this work-in-progress discussion, I consider the potential of archaeological data to address some key issues raised by this growing superfood craze in Africa. First, archaeological records of crop use can be compared against major climatic and economic changes that may inform scenario planning for future food systems. Second, archaeological data are well-suited to understand how – and why – key resources are abandoned, with implications for their future adoption. And third, archaeological plant remains help establish the development of African germplasms and establish evidence for intellectual property.