A massive thanks to co-authors Rachel Burton and Carolyn Schultz for many interesting conversations on emerging crops, and to @jxbotany.bsky.social for the opportunity to write a Darwin Review.

We urge readers to consider that the need for sustained investment in research and development across the entire value chain to facilitate the exploration of diverse species and genetic resources to enhance crop resilience and adaptability to future environmental conditions.

And we use Agave as an exemplar to demonstrate a strategic pathway for developing a robust new crop while keeping a budget in mind.

The potential of wild crop relatives for improving domesticated crops and the potential of alternative multiuse crops to increase global sustainability and address climate change-related challenges is also covered.

We explore the impacts of climate change on the major cereals (rice, wheat and maize) and efforts to improve resilience. We also cover production trends in established, re-emerging, and new crops and discuss their utility.