The Role of Underutilized Crops in Sustainable Agriculture and Food-Systems
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 8663
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biotechnology; climate change; plant nutrition and nutritional stresses; legume grains
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over the last decade, attention has been drawn to the exploitation of old, forgotten crops recently neglected by scientists and policy makers. Currently, the world’s carbohydrate supply is mainly based on three major crops: rice, maize and wheat. This has pushed the food production system to a high level of uncertainty and insecurity and, as climate change and other environmental pressures continue to rise, it is of utmost importance to develop new sources of food and feed in order to promote sustainable agriculture and food systems.
The term “underutilized crops” covers: plant species that are indigenous to a certain region, being part of local tradition and adapted to specific, usually harsher, environmental conditions; neglected cultivars of major crops; and minor crops, that are already cultivated but are underutilized due to their relatively low global production and market value. These crops are often good sources of amino acids, fiber, and proteins, and can be alternative nutrient sources, increasing the diversification of food production and acting as potential new ingredients for food technology. Additionally, they can be included in cropping systems, improving companion crop values, enhancing biodiversity, and providing a range of ecosystem services.
In order to promote the inclusion of these crops in agricultural systems by farmers, and to influence policies to support these actions, it is necessary to understand the potential uses, benefits, and constraints associated with specific species and landraces. Hence, it is our main goal to gather information on underutilized crops from the point of view of their agronomic, genetic, metabolic, and nutritional profiles as well as on the social, political, and governance mechanisms that can be used to promote their inclusion in a farm to fork system.
References:
- Ebert, A.W. (2014) Potential of Underutilized Traditional Vegetables and Legume Crops to Contribute to Food and Nutritional Security, Income and More Sustainable Production Systems. Sustainability 6(1), 319-335. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6010319
- Yang, S.; Grall, A.; Chapman, M.A. (2018) Origin and diversification of winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.), a multipurpose underutilized legume. American Journal of Botany 105(5), 1-10. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1093
- Gregory, P.J.; Mayes, S.; Hui, C.H.; et al. (2019) Crops For the Future (CFF): an overview of research efforts in the adoption of underutilised species. Planta 250, 979-988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03179-2
Dr. Carla Sancho dos Santos
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- underutilized species
- germplasm diversity
- nutritional value
- chemical composition
- food security
- technological properties
- plant genetic resources
- cropping systems
- supply chains
- cultivation
- climate change
- ecosystem services
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