Food

Wheat – the backbone of life

• Wheat is a member of the grass family and provides more nourishment for more people worldwide than any other food, 40–60% of the calories in the diet of a developed nation.
• Only wheat contains enough gluten to make raised or leavened bread.
• 100 kilos of wheat contain 2 million grains, enough to make 100 loaves.
• More foods are made from wheat than any other grain.

Wheat is rich in:

• Carbohydrates (mainly as starch) for energy. At least 80% of the content of wheat is carbohydrate.
• Protein for growth and development. 9–15% of the content of wheat is protein.
• Essential vitamins and minerals such as:
  • B-vitamins: vital for digestive system and to help the body use energy properly.
  • Calcium: for healthy bones and teeth.
  • Iron: for making blood.
• Wheat also contains:
  Magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and other trace elements contributing to general good health. Fibre from bran (the outer skin of the wheat grain).

Wheat is classified by its end use	UK	FR	GER
High protein, premium bread making	-	A	E
Premium bread making Group	1	BPS	A
General purpose bread making Group	2	BPC	B
Biscuit, cake making and distilling Group	3	BB	K
Animal Feed Group	4	BAU	C

The Economics of Wheat

• In 2006, about 614 million tonnes of wheat were produced worldwide covering an area nine times the size of the UK.

Top 10 wheat producing countries	Millions of tonnes
China	96
India	72
USA	57
Former USSR	45.5
France	36.9
Canada	25.5
Australia	24
Germany	23.1
Pakistan	21.6
Turkey	21

• In the UK, wheat is sown on 40% of Britain’s arable land, resulting in a total harvest of 12 – 17 million tonnes. The average yield in the UK is 8 tonnes per hectare
  (1 tonne = 1000 kg • 1 hectare = 10,000 m2).
• The price of wheat is highly variable and depends on market conditions.
• As a commodity, financiers trade on the future price of wheat.
• In the financial markets traders decide how much they would be prepared to pay for wheat on a future date, or how much they would be prepared to accept for wheat on a future date.
• This caused the rise in wheat prices in 2007.

Each wheat is grown for a distinct market

• The harder the wheat, the higher the amount of protein in the flour.
• Soft, low protein wheats are used in cakes, pastries, biscuits and crackers.
• Hard, high protein wheats are used in breads.
• Durum wheat, a hard wheat with high gluten* content, is used in pasta and egg noodles.
  * gluten is a high protein constituent of wheat

Energy

Wheat as a sustainable energy source

• Bio-ethanol is liquid fuel made from the carbohydrate content of plants. This is then converted to sugars that are fermented and distilled to make ethanol.
• Compared with fossil derived fuels, bio-ethanol generally has lower emissions, saves energy and improves air quality and hence public health.
• The portion of the wheat plant that is not used as a food source can therefore be used as an effective alternative to petroleum.

 

Non-food uses

Gluten, extracted from wheat has many uses

• Gluten is used by the pharmaceutical industry in the manufacture of capsules.
• Gluten is also used in the paper making industry to coat paper.

Wheatgerm is a concentrated source of vitamin E

• Wheatgerm protects body tissue from damage by oxidisation.
• Creams containing wheatgerm oil improve the structure and appearance of the skin.
• Wheatgerm is also a popular health food.

Progress

• The modern wheat farmer must constantly monitor soil, climate and environmental factors to keep his crop healthy. In addition, farmers must keep it free from pests, weeds and diseases.
• Every few seasons, land that has been growing wheat needs a break. At this time, the farmer plants a break crop such as oilseed rape.
• Reduced tillage is a method for sowing wheat that not only saves time and money, but it is more beneficial to the environment too.
• More farmers are using ecologically sound methods of farming in a bid to preserve the environment and to meet the stringent requirements of government and consumer bodies.

 

The Future of Wheat

Can we meet the demands of the future?

• Since 1901, the world’s population has increased fourfold, from 1.6 to 6 billion people.
• So far, the world’s farmers have been able to keep up with the increasing demands, but the earth’s resources are now under severe strain.
• By 2030, the population is likely to have increased by a third. The challenge is to feed an additional 2 billion people from the same amount of land and water that is available now.

How can plant science help?

• By sustaining and protecting our environment. By meeting the growing demand for food. By producing better quality crops with higher yields.
• The potential of these crops to enhance food and feed yields, reduce the use of chemicals and increase profitability is the reason why the world’s farmers plant more and more each year.