Biodiversity > Global Grocery

This Mediterranean tree can live for over 500 years, and produces little fruits called olives. The oil from the olives can be used in cooking, skin care products, and more.

This plant can grow in poor soil. In many countries, this root is a major ingredient for bread, soup, and other foods.

These bean-like seeds are found in pulpy fruit that have a thick outer skin and grow on coffee plants.

These seeds, which are only about one-eighth of an inch long, have no cholesterol and lots of protein and are found inside tiny plant pods along the stem.

This aquatic plant can be a resting place for seabirds and provide shelter and a meal for small fish. Some types form large rafts that can cover massive areas over a thousand miles wide.

Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of evergreen laurel trees. Pieces of bark that are higher up on the tree can be dried. Pieces of bark lower down can be ground into cinnamon powder.

The tree's bark and leaves helped in the development of aspirin. The trees can grow more than 50 feet high and usually grow near water.

These beans come from football-sized pods that sprout directly from tree trunks! They are hard as rock but have sweet insides filled with dozens of bean-like seeds, which are then fermented, dried, and roasted to make chocolate.

This vegetable is a fuzzy plant, with large leaves and small flowers. It is crushed to get oil and also used as a protein source for livestock and human food.

These stalks are used to feed animals, and the kernels can be ground up to make food like tortillas, chips, and bread.

This tree has brown pods that can grow up to 8 inches long with juicy insides. People have found uses for every part of this tree.

This tree is not only a resting place for pythons and koalas, it also contains an ingredient that is used to help treat cold symptoms.

Rice comes from plants that grow in fields called paddies. The plant has long, pointed leaves and seeds that can be eaten. It has been used to make many things from thatch roofs to cosmetics.

This spice comes from the root of the ginger plant. It can be fried, chopped, boiled, pickled, dried, and squeezed to make juice.

This plant has narrow, yellow-green branches, and can have poisonous cones that look like berries. Used in traditional medicine, it can be very dangerous if people misuse it.