Gaby
German photographer Uli Westphal has spent several years working as both an artist and a researcher. Each time he strolled through the street markets of Berlin, he was captivated by the shapes and colors of produce. Among the familiar varieties of vegetables and fruits, he noticed some he had never seen before—varieties you rarely see in supermarkets.
Uli Westphal began to wonder: why had these plant varieties become so rare? His reflections on the dwindling varieties around the globe inspired him to start a personal research project, as reported by Designboom.
The project spanned more than a decade and produced a global photo series titled “Cultivar.” In it, Westphal captured the vibrant diversity of crops, both familiar and rare.
Initially, the photographer reached out to farmers from around the world, who helped with his meticulous work. Farmers in Europe, Latin America, and the United States sent him ripe samples or seeds, which Westphal grew himself and then photographed.
As a result, he grew and photographed variations of pumpkins, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, pears, and more.
Most crop varieties disappeared in the last half-century
As Westphal noted in the series’ annotation, early agriculture involved cultivating a vast number of plant varieties to meet daily needs. People worked to preserve those crops and spread them widely. But as agriculture became commercialized, farmers shifted to high-yield, robust, uniform, and predictable varieties—those that ripen quickly, produce reliable harvests, and look appealing.
Gradually, those commercial varieties displaced many traditional plants that our ancestors ate. Most of the varieties that have largely disappeared now survive only in Westphal’s photographs. When viewers see his work, they often admit they had no idea such a wide range of vegetable and fruit varieties existed.
In his research, the photographer found that most varieties ever cultivated by humans have vanished from the global agricultural map over the past 50 years.
That loss reduces genetic diversity and erases cultural and culinary heritage. Only a few farmers are working to revive disappearing plants. To honor them, the artist continues to expand the Cultivar series, photographing the astonishing diversity of varieties.
Restoring that diversity in the face of global warming is an extremely complex task. Westphal is also deeply concerned about synthetic biology and genetic engineering, which introduce significantly altered plants into ecosystems. As he wrote on his website, he’s not opposed to basic genetic research. However, he believes we should not rush into synthetic biology as a design tool or a quick technological fix, especially for food production.
