| Summary: | Our present-day society is increasingly standardised and wasteful of resources and is witnessing a disturbing loss of biodiversity. In reaction to this, more and more concerned citizens are trying to reduce their environmental footprint by concrete action. One of the most fundamental of these actions lies in a return to healthy and tasty food, locally sourced. The search for old and local varieties of fruits and vegetables corresponds with this movement and with the desire to maintain the biodiversity of cultivated plants. But, at the same time, this tendency throws doubt on the qualities of the varieties that succeeded the old ones, and even on the notion that plant varieties can indeed be improved. This doubt is widespread and concerns many sorts of fruits and vegetables, without distinction, and ignores the fact that progress has been made for more of these varieties than the consumer suspects. In order to understand the role that these old varieties can play, it is necessary to give a brief account of their history, their decline and their return to favour. The renewal of interest in old varieties of fruits and vegetables has been encouraged by several factors, including governmental intervention, notably the creation of new categories in the French catalogue of varieties in 2008 and 2009 and the creation, in 2016, of a national coordination for plant genetic resources. Between public policies and the aspirations of citizens, the mobilisation of local actors and scientists must be consolidated on the basis of programmes currently underway in in several regions. The best place where awareness raising can be implemented are the vegetable gardens and orchards. New enthusiasm for gardening and for cooking encourages the uses of old varieties in recipes which must be created or rewritten according to contemporary needs.
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