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Neglected and underutilized crop species the key to improving soil nutritional
security for fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition in north-western IGP:
A review

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 The Pharma Innovation Journal 2021; 10(8): 1833-1839

ISSN (E): 2277- 7695

ISSN (P): 2349-8242
NAAS Rating: 5.23
TPI 2021; 10(8): 1833-1839
Neglected and underutilized crop species the key to
© 2021 TPI
www.thepharmajournal.com
improving soil nutritional security for fighting poverty,
Received: 09-05-2021 hunger and malnutrition in north-western IGP: A
Accepted: 19-06-2021
review
RK Naresh
Department of Agronomy,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
University of Agriculture &
RK Naresh, M Sharath Chandra, NC Mahajan, Pradeep Kumar Singh,
Technology, Meerut, Uttar Aryan Baliyan, Prashant Ahlawat and Polepaka Shalini
Pradesh, India
Abstract
M Sharath Chandra
Department of Agronomy,
Far too many individuals are suffering from hunger and under nutrition: nearly 690 million people are
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel undernourished; 144 million children suffer from stunting, a sign of chronic under nutrition; 47 million
University of Agriculture & children suffer from wasting, a sign of acute under nutrition; and in 2018, and 5.3 million children died
Technology, Meerut, Uttar before their fifth birthdays, in many cases as a result of under nutrition. The promotion of NUS in any
Pradesh, India country, regardless of its state of development, is an opportunity to promote and make use of the crop
diversity and associated food traditions present at the local level, which are the unique expression of the
NC Mahajan work of generations of farmers and users. Safeguarding such a heritage is an important contribution to
Department of Agronomy, protecting the identity of local communities and reinforcing their self-esteem and confidence to
Institute of Agricultural Science, counteract threats of standardization of local food culture arising from globalization trends and changes
Banaras Hindu University, in life styles. NUCS are important source of household incomes and substantially contribute to poverty
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India reduction. However, most of the species are rich in nutrients and have some proven medicinal values and
the promotion of their use would help in combating malnutrition and improving the health status of the
Pradeep Kumar Singh
local populations. The100 g edible portion of dried seeds of Macrotyloma geocarpum contain water
Department of Agronomy,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 9.7 g, energy 1457 kJ (348 kcal), protein 21.3 g, fat 1.1 g, carbohydrate 66.6 g, fibre 5.5 g, Ca 103 mg, P
University of Agriculture & 392 mg, Fe 15.0 mg, zinc (4.42 to 4.92 mg), potassium (235.73 to 341.94 mg), thiamin 0.76 mg,
Technology, Meerut, Uttar riboflavin 0.19 mg, and niacin 2.3 mg and the content of essential amino acids per 100 g food is arginine
Pradesh, India (9.3 g), histidine (2.1 g), and phenylalanine (3.2 g), tryptophan 155 mg, lysine 1280 mg, methionine
267 mg, phenylalanine 1125 mg, threonine 738 mg, valine 1209 mg, leucine 1485 mg, and isoleucine
Aryan Baliyan 871 mg.
Department of Soil Science and Essential in pursuing the use-enhancement of NUS is the adoption of multi-stakeholder, multi-
Agricultural Chemistry, Sardar disciplinary and participatory approaches. Because of the central role of women in deploying NUS
Vallabhbhai Patel University of diversity in everyday life, interventions to enhance their capacities in farming, adding value, marketing
Agriculture and Technology, and cooking these species are critical. The potential of neglected and underutilized crops with respect to
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India how they can contribute to tropical challenges, such as food and nutrition security, human health and
well–being, climate change adaptation, the environment, and employment creation in poor rural
Prashant Ahlawat
communities in India. Promising neglected and underutilized species (NUS) that are nutrient-dense,
Department of Plant Pathology,
Chaudhary Charan Singh climate-resilient, profitable, and locally available/adaptable are fundamental to improving dietary and
University, Meerut, Uttar production diversity. This review paper collected literature has been an overview for improving Soil
Pradesh, India Nutritional Security for Fighting Poverty, Hunger and Malnutrition to address one aspect of the challenge
that faces us if we want to diversify crops and increase the contribution of productivity and profitability
Polepaka Shalini that underutilized crops towards food security.
Department of Agronomy, Sam
Higginbotham Agricultural Keywords: Neglected and Underutilized species (NUS), food Security, poverty, livelihood
University, Allahabad, Uttar
Pradesh., India
Introduction
In the Green Revolution and the decades that followed, the focus of agricultural research was
on increasing crop yields to ensure adequate calories for people who would otherwise have
gone hungry. However, less attention was given to nutritional quality – providing a sufficient
quantity of food trumped providing nutritious food. As a result, diets deficient in essential
Corresponding Author:
vitamins and micro-nutrients still persist in many parts of the world. Of the world’s estimated
RK Naresh
Department of Agronomy, 7,000 million people, 500 million still suffer from protein-energy malnutrition, but over 1,600
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel million suffer from iron deficiency, over 200 million from vitamin A insufficiency (WHO
University of Agriculture & 2008, 2009) and it has been estimated that over 400,000 children die each year from effects
Technology, Meerut, Uttar directly related to zinc deficiency (Harvest Plus 2011) [22].
Pradesh, India
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Underutilized crops provide essential micro-nutrients and thus within the local, national or even international communities,
complement staple foods. Additionally, NUS provide but have the potential to contribute to food security, nutrition,
flavoring in local cuisine, strengthen local gastronomic dietary and culinary diversification, health and income
traditions and provide income opportunities for both the rural generation. The neglected and underutilized crops included
and urban poor. Many NUS are high in carotenoids and such as cereals and pseudo cereals, legumes, vegetables,
minerals and therefore could play a role in helping to improve oilseeds, roots and tubers, aromatic and medicinal plants,
the micro-nutrient content in the diets of millions of people fruits and nuts etc. Neglected and Underutilized crops are
around the world. lesser-known plant species in terms of marketing and
Agricultural species that are not among the major staple crops research, but well adapted to marginal biotic and abiotic stress
often come under the heading of ‘neglected and underutilized conditions. Where these crops have been traditionally under
species’ (NUS) and are sometimes called ‘orphan’ crops. cultivation and intrinsically linked with food security,
Many NUS have the potential to contribute to food security at livelihood and cultural identity of local rural communities in
local and regional levels. In an increasingly globalized and the breadbasket of India (Chandra et al., 2020) [8]. Many
interdependent world, eradicating hunger is a prerequisite for underutilized crop species offer nutritional values that are
peace and world security. If we are to feed 9,000 million comparable to or higher than global crops, which is especially
people in 2050 in a sustainable way, while at the same time important for crops grown in difficult conditions. Indigenous
protecting the environment, providing healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables, for example, are being studied for their
food for all, and enhancing the livelihoods of farmers, we potential to provide nutrient-dense diets while requiring less
need more diverse agricultural and food systems. At the irrigation (Chivenge et al., 2015) [9]. Furthermore, the quality
national level, NUS can strengthen a country’s food and and availability of two other critical agricultural inputs,
buffer economic and social shocks that might hit the especially water and land, are already diminishing (Dubey et
population as a result of concentrating on fewer and fewer al., 2016; Tripathi et al., 2017) [12, 42]. Another hindrance to
crops. Often known as ‘famine food’, farmers have returned food production is changing climatic conditions, which have
to and relied on NUS throughout history whenever major an impact on the quality and availability of vital resources, as
staple crops have failed. well as the quality and quantity of agricultural commodities
Although NUS characteristically have lower yields than the (Parodi et al., 2018) [36].
main staple crops, they often compensate for this by being NUS differ from staple crops in fundamental ways. They tend
more resistant to biotic challenges and providing dependable to be managed with traditional systems, use informal seed
harvests in unfavorable climatic conditions or on difficult sources and involve a strong gender element. Their processing
soils. This adaptive capacity is one of the key traits of many can be laborious, grading and packaging primitive and the
NUS. They are often grown in poor areas where difficult products marketed locally with limited involvement of large
agro-ecological conditions predominate, and where enterprises. Having long been neglected by mainstream
smallholder farmers do not have the means to adopt the high- agriculture for a variety of agronomic, genetic, economic,
input agricultural practices geared to major staple crops. social and cultural reasons, today these crops are receiving
Farmers maintain high levels of traditional varietal diversity. increasing recognition because of their potential role in
This provides insurance since traditional varieties are often mitigating risk in agricultural production systems. Over the
best adapted to marginal ecosystems and heterogeneous last ten years or so, an increasing number of projects have
environments, and the most resistant to local pests and directed their attention to the significance of NUS in
diseases. The erosion of agricultural diversity, especially of improving nutrition, generating income, maintaining
NUS, thus has serious implications for agriculture – the loss ecosystem health and empowering the poor and marginalized,
of resilience in the face of climate change, social and as well as in promoting cultural diversity (Padulosi et al.,
economic shocks and less ecosystem functionality. Enhancing 2013) [35].
diversity by growing alternative food and forage crops will
not only diversify agro-ecosystems, but will also improve The Importance of Neglected and Underutilized Crops in
their adaptability to extreme climatic conditions and provide Food Security Diversification
resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses (Padulosi et al., 2002) [33]. Staple foods are facing major challenges and will continue in
NUS are mostly wild or semi-domesticated species adapted to the near future due to climate changes. In this regard,
local environments. These traditional foods were in use for diversification of crops including neglected crops is important
centuries but increasingly became forgotten when more if the world needs to achieve the goal of food security.
productive (or profitable, or prestigious, or easier to process) Neglected crops are crop species traditionally used with local
crops replaced them in the farming systems. NUS can be communities with great potential to contribute with food
named as Future Smart Food when they are nutritionally security and vitamin A deficiency issues (Mabhaudhi, 2009)
dense, climate resilient, economically viable, and locally [29]
. Neglected crops are drought and heat stress tolerant,
available or adaptable (FAO, 2018) [16]. Neglected and
Underutilized Plant Species (NUS) offer tremendous resistant to pests and diseases, and adapted to semiarid and
opportunities for fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition. arid environments and could be useful in diversifying diets
Historically, underutilized plants have often been used for and addressing micronutrient deficiencies in poor rural
food and other uses on a large scale and in some countries are communities (Collins et al., 1999) [10].
still very common especially among small or marginal A few number of crop species are essential for the world's
farmers in the rural areas. They have multiple values: their fundamental diet of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.
nutritional value is high, and they are often an essential source Human intake of carbohydrates is dominated by three closely
of vitamins, micronutrients and protein and thus help to attain related species: wheat, rice, and maize (Collins and Hawtin,
nutritional security (San et al., 2019) [39]. 1999) [10]. Modification (either transgenic or by traditional
Underutilized and neglected crops species are ancient breeding) of these and other staple crops will be necessary for
indigenous crop species which are still used at some level any short-term improvement in food security. However,

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focusing solely on the productivity of existing key crops, world would meet the basic caloric needs of almost 800
which are frequently selected and developed under high million people (West et al., 2014) [44]. The problems of
intensity agriculture, is insufficient to address the problem of fostering extensive finger millet cultivation, on the other
food insecurity and may leave agriculture even more hand, are enormous. To play a significant role in climate
vulnerable to future biotic and abiotic pressures (Mayes et al., resilience, food security, and nutrition, the crop must be an
2012). As a consequence, FAO has emphasized the relevance economically feasible solution for farmers.
of neglected and underutilized species in the battle against Indigenous and underutilized crop species have been
hunger, and has advocated for further research on identified as valuable for sustainable agricultural productivity
underutilized food resources, particularly those produced on (Kahane et al., 2013) [24]. According to Chivenge et al. (2015)
[9]
poor and underutilized areas (wetlands, marshes, saline soil, , the cultivation of underutilized crops provides greater
etc.) by the poor. Many underutilized and neglected species genetic biodiversity, and can potentially improve food
are adapted to low-input agriculture and contain high levels of security. Other studies have emphasized on the nutritional
vitamins and minerals, which are critical for addressing child richness of many neglected and underutilized species, their
malnutrition. The utilization of these species, whether wild, role in promoting human health and enhancing food security
managed, or farmed, can have an immediate impact on poor (Flood Julie, 2010) [18]. In recent times, the lack of variety in
people's food security and well-being. Neglected and food intake has negatively impacted on human health and
underutilized species are a vital resource for agricultural and wellbeing. Indigenous and underutilized crops can help
rural development, as well as a critical resource in the fight remedy this negative trend as their intake can help provide the
against hunger. For the sake of smallholder farmers, he needed nutrients that will promote human wellbeing and good
advocated for more study on underutilized crops. health thereby reducing the incidence of disease and
Furthermore, many overlooked and underutilized species malnutrition among local populations around the world.
contribute to the preservation of cultural variety. They fill Therefore, expanding the food chain to accommodate
critical gaps in the landscape, preserving traditional indigenous species is an important way to enhance overall
landscapes while adapting to the dangerous and vulnerable human health and wellbeing. Therefore, underutilized and
conditions of rural populations (Tyagi et al., 2018) [43]. indigenous crops should form an important part of people’s
According to Salvi and Katewa (2016) [38], the use of plants food intake all over the world. The use of these indigenous
has long been a part of local cultures and traditions. Many and underutilized species will not only improve food security
underappreciated species serve an important role in but human wellbeing as well. And beyond their contribution
preserving cultural variation connected with eating habits, to local food availability, wild indigenous plants also help
health practises, religious ceremonies, and social interactions. keep cultural diversity alive.
The availability of diversity for present uses as well as its
maintenance for future deployment is both necessary for the Role of Neglected and Underutilized Crops on Food
successful and sustainable usage of underused species. Given Security and Resilience of Food Systems
the local distinctiveness of underused species, such a dual Many NUS have the potential to help to local and regional
goal necessitates a conservation and development strategy food security. Eradicating hunger is a necessity for peace and
distinct from that used for other crops (Kour et al., 2018) [25]. global security in an increasingly globalised and
Neglected and Underutilized crops (NUCS) have great interdependent society. We need more diverse agricultural
potential to alleviate hunger directly, through increasing food and food systems if we are to feed 9,000 million people in a
production in challenging environments where major crops sustainable fashion by 2050, while also conserving the
are severely limited, through nutritional enhancement to diets environment, providing healthy and nutritious food for all,
focused on staples, and through providing the poor with and improving farmers' livelihoods (Padulosi et al., 2013) [35].
purchasing power, helping them buy the food that is available. Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in food security
Many underutilized crops were once more widely grown but and resilient food systems, because crop diversification is one
are today falling into disuse for a variety of agronomic, of the most effective means to ensure long-term agricultural
genetic, economic and cultural factors. NUS are healthier production systems. This, in turn, necessitates more
foods which could enrich diets. Only if these crops, dependable seed systems that let farmers to capitalize on the
particularly those locally available and culturally acceptable, abiotic resistance features inherent in many NUS. Padulosi et
would adequately researched, marketed, and utilized, it could al. (2009) [32] reported that minor millets in India, because
help in curbing food insecurity and nutrient deficiency they have a short biological cycle and an efficient root
through improving diets with too much refined carbohydrates system, have a comparative advantage where water is scarce
and fats. The general decline of these crops may erode the and rainfall is low. This, plus the fact that they offer modest
genetic base and prevent the use of distinctive useful traits in yields from marginal/poor soils with low inputs, has made
crop adaptation and improvement (Chandra et al., 2020) [8]. them important in mountain, tribal and hill agriculture. NUS
According to Padulosi et al. (2015) [34], focusing more study have lower yields than the main staple crops, but they make
on nutritious cereals like millets would be a very strategic and up for it by being more resistant to biotic problems and
practical option. It has the potential to provide significant producing consistent harvests in a variety of climatic
benefits in terms of reduced input requirements, climate situations and on challenging soils. This adaptability is one of
change adaptability, and the cultivation of marginal soils, as the most important characteristics of many NUS. They are
well as social benefits such as increased self-reliance of local frequently grown in poor locations with challenging agro-
residents and more resilient food systems. Increasing the ecological circumstances and when smallholder farmers lack
usage of small millets is a promising way to contribute to the financial resources to pursue high-input farming systems
food security and dietary variety. It also represents a chance aimed toward major staple crops. Traditional varietal
to boost productivity, particularly in underperforming areas. It variability is preserved by farmers. This provides insurance
is anticipated that overcoming yield gaps in such areas of the since traditional varieties are often best adapted to marginal

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ecosystems and heterogeneous environments, and the most million deaths each year and about 19% of gastrointestinal
resistant to local pests and diseases (Padulosi et al., 2013) [35]. cancer, 31% of ischemic heart disease, and 11% of strokes
Some NUS crop species have many important medicinal (WHO, 2002) [45]. Dietary modifications toward healthy diets
properties beside their nutritional value and can be used as are expected to result in significant health benefits, including
nutraceutical. Crassocephalum sp. has antibiotic, preventing 19–24% of total deaths among adults (EAT–
antihelminthes, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-malaria Lancet, 2019) [13]. The Indian Government recognized the key
and blood regulation properties and also treats indigestion, role of dietary diversity for preventing nutritional anemia and
liver complaints, colds, intestinal worms, and hepatic used food-based approaches to attain adequate dietary iron by
insufficiency. Adjatin et al. (2013) [3] reported that the of encouraging the consumption of micronutrient-rich foods,
leaves extract of Crassocephalum sp have quite rightly the such as dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, and vitamin-C-
presence of tannins, flavonoïds, steroids, mucilage, reducing rich NUS fruits, which are often available but underutilized
compounds, coumarins, and the C-heterosis that are by the nutrient-deficient population (Li and Siddique,
recognized as possessing pharmacological properties 2018; Muehlhoff et al., 2011) [28, 31].
intervening in the prevention and the treatment of several NUS can help with food insecurity as well as concealed
human pathologies such as hypertension, headaches, breast hunger, and they're especially good for diets high in refined
cancer, burns, inflammations, injuries, liver complaints, carbohydrates and fats. NU’S provides opportunity to
infections, and sexually transmitted diseases (Ekeanyanwu supplement diets with healthy foods (especially legumes,
and Ononogbu, 2010; Aniya et al., 2002) [14, 5]. Gill et al. fruits, and vegetables) in ways that reflect food culture, as
(2010) [20] reported that Citrullus lanatus has good well as to spice up meals. Poor families are unlikely to be able
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic potential and to afford a nutrient-dense diet if wild foods are not included.
may be used as a future food medicine. Tigernut tuber has Wild foods and other NUS, particularly those that are locally
also been reported to be used in the treatment of flatulence, available and culturally acceptable, appear to be in a perfect
indigestion, diarrhoea, dysentery, and excessive thirst position to improve nutrition and health (Kahane et al. 2012).
(Adejuyitan, 2011) [1]. Therefore, there is the need for NUS species offer immense opportunities to fight poverty,
increased utilization and awareness about the health benefits hunger, and malnutrition, and their incorporation into farming
of the use of these species. systems could lead to nutrient-dense, climate-resilient, and
sustainable agriculture. Neglected and underutilized species
Neglected and underutilized Species (NUS) and Nutrition have high nutritional value and are a good source of
Underutilized crops provide essential micronutrients, which micronutrients, protein, energy, and fiber. Many NUS crops
help to round out the nutritional profile of staple diets. can also be grown on marginal land, intercropped or rotated
Furthermore, NUS promotes local food, strengthens local with staple crops, and easily fit with integrated practices
gastronomic traditions, and creates revenue prospects for both (Akinnifesi et al., 2008; DeFrie et al., 2016) [4, 11]. Many NUS
rural and urban disadvantaged. Many NUS are high in can tolerate various stresses, which will not only make
carotenoids and minerals, and so potentially assist millions of production systems more diverse but more sustainable and
people around the world enhance their micronutrient content climate-resilient (Li and Siddique, 2018) [28]. NUS species
in their diets (Padulosi et al., 2013) [35]. Strategies based on have the potential to reverse the trend in hidden hunger. They
diverse local food crops can provide a valuable and are often richer in nutrients than their more popular staple
sustainable complement to other means of tackling crop cousins, with high levels of essential micronutrients and
malnutrition. It is widely accepted that increased consumption phyto-chemicals and good macronutrient profiles (Sathe,
of locally available indigenous or traditional fruits, 1996) [40].
vegetables, grains, roots and tubers can improve nutrition and According to Salvi, (2016) [38] the use of plants has long been
increase human productivity (Bala Ravi et al. 2006; Smith an intimate part of local cultures and traditions. Many
and Longvah 2009; Frison et al. 2011; Mayes et al. 2011; neglected and underutilized species play a role in keeping
Kahane et al 2012) [6, 41, 19, 30]. However, for many people in alive cultural diversity associated with food habits, health
developing countries fruit and vegetables are difficult to find practices, religious rituals and social exchanges. Focusing
and afford (Ruel et al. 2005), and while fortified food attention on neglected and underutilized species is an
products and increased consumption of fish and animal effective way to help a diverse and healthy diet and to combat
products are effective means of addressing some nutrient micronutrient and deficiencies, the so-called “hidden hunger”
deficiencies, these products are often out of reach for the and other dietary deficiency particularly among the rural poor
poorest in society. In addition, many locally available fruit and the more vulnerable social groups in developing
and vegetable species have not yet been adequately countries. In reality, local communities have used these plant
researched, marketed or improved by plant breeding. species for generations but the current loss of local knowledge
Micronutrient deficiency mostly affects children and women, means that their traditional uses are being forgotten. Many
particularly those of reproductive age. While the most underutilized species can make an important contribution to a
common indicators for malnutrition in children under 5 years better diet for local communities.
of age are stunting, underweight, and wasting, those for Millets also have superior nutritional and health benefits; they
women and children (>5 years) are anemia and vitamin A are often referred to as “high-energy” cereals, with higher
deficiency. Of the world's estimated 7,000 million people, 500 protein, vitamin A and oil contents than maize (Kumar et al.,
million suffer from protein-energy malnutrition, >1,600 2018) [26, 27]. Table 1 compares the nutritional value of
million suffer from iron deficiency, and >200 million suffer selected millets and staple crops (Gopala et al., 1989) [21] and
from vitamin A insufficiency (FAO, 2020) [17]. More than shows, for instance, that pearl millet has higher calcium, iron,
400,000 children under 5 years are estimated to die each year zinc, riboflavin, and folic acid contents than rice or maize and
from zinc deficiency (Hefferon, 2019) [23]. The WHO higher micronutrient contents (excluding calcium) than wheat
estimates that diets low in fruits and vegetables cause 2.7 (Adhikari et al., 2017) [2].

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Table 1: Comparison of nutritional values of selected millets and staple crop

Selected millets (/100 g) Staple foods (/100 g)
Pearl Finger Foxtail Proso Barnyard Kodo Rice Wheat
Nutrient Sorghum Maize
millet millet millet millet millet millet (milled) flour
Energy (kcal) 361 349 328 331 341 397 309 345 342 346
Protein (g) 11.6 10.4 7.3 12.3 7.7 6.2 8.3 6.8 11.1 12.1
Fat (g) 5.0 1.9 1.3 4.3 4.7 2.2 1.4 0.4 3.6 1.7
Calcium (mg) 42.0 25.0 344 31.0 17.0 20.0 27.0 10.0 10.0 48.0
Iron (mg) 8.0 4.1 3.9 2.8 9.3 5.0 0.5 3.2 2.3 4.9
Zinc (mg) 3.1 1.6 2.3 2.4 3.7 3.0 0.7 1.4 2.8 2.2
Thiamine (mg) 0.33 0.37 0.42 0.59 0.21 0.33 0.33 0.06 0.42 0.49
Riboflavin (mg) 0.25 0.13 0.19 0.11 0.01 0.10 0.09 0.06 0.10 0.17
Folic acid (mg) 45.5 20 18.3 15.0 9.0 - 23.1 8.0 20 36.6
Fiber (g) 1.2 1.6 3.6 8.0 7.6 9.8 9.0 0.2 2.7 1.2
Source: NIN (1989).

Neglected and underutilized species can increase agricultural more diversified, nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient,
sustainability by reducing the need for external inputs, such as economically viable and locally adaptable systems is the key
inorganic fertilizers and pesticides (Bruulsema et al., 2012) [7]. to harnessing the potential of FSFs, particularly if they can be
Introducing NUS in a farming system can reduce pest and mainstreamed.
disease buildup when grown in rotation with main crops. NUS, with their greater adaptability to extreme climatic
Depending on their characteristics, NUS can also increase soil conditions and their resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses
fertility, prevent soil erosion, reduce evaporation, and can be effective instruments for curbing food insecurity.
suppress weed growth (Kumar et al., 2008) [26]. Although they are characterized by lower yields, NUS will
also produce harvestable yields where major crops may fail.
Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS), Income and They are also valuable in fighting hidden hunger and are
Livelihoods particularly useful in improving diets that are too rich in
Higher incomes for small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs are refined carbohydrates and fats. In addition, agricultural
often quoted as one of the benefits of improving the production focused on agro-biodiversity can contribute to
production and quality of NUS, especially high-value crops, harnessing and safeguarding centuries-old traditions and is a
such as local fruits and vegetables. Strategic interventions to powerful instrument for keeping alive the cultural identity of
that end will involve making NUS more commercially farmers and indigenous communities.
competitive by developing improved ‘modern’ varieties. Poor Neglected and underutilized species offer enormous
competitiveness also stems from lack of capacity in poor rural opportunities for fighting poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.
areas to negotiate with the private sector to access the new Many NUS have superior nutritional values for improving
technologies and markets which would increase the potential micronutrient deficiencies. Many NUS can tolerate various
demand for these local crops (Padulosi et al., 2013) [35]. stresses, which would not only make production systems
Local, national and global markets will be effective in more diverse but also more sustainable and climate-resilient.
supporting diversity only if consumers are educated about Their resistance to climate change implies that NUS can
diversity and are willing to pay for products that support provide food when other crops fail. To identify NUS those are
diversity. Higher-value niche markets can be developed nutrient-dense, climate-resilient, economically viable, and
through strategic placements of NUS in large commercial locally available or adaptable.
outlets, such as supermarkets catering to urban populations Neglected and underutilized crops have great untapped
and the developing middle-classes. Training stakeholders in potential to support smallholder farmers and rural
value chain development is important, as is increasing the communities by improving their incomes and food and
availability of credit to small producers and micro-processors. nutritional security while also sustaining the genetic resources
Training will need to be broad and cover areas such as needed to address present and future environmental
processing, packaging, bookkeeping, economies of scale, challenges. Making full use of these crops, however, will
accessing market information (e.g. through channels such as involve making them more commercially competitive with
text messaging on mobile phones), negotiating with different improved ‘modern’ varieties. Part of this poor competitive
actors and learning how to respond to market changes value is because poor rural areas often have little capacity to
(Padulosi et al., 2013; Kahane et al. 2012) [35]. negotiate with the private sector, thus excluding the
possibility of access to new technologies and markets that
Conclusions could increase the potential of these locally used crops. The
Despite impressive progress, hunger, food insecurity and extensive works in neglected crop promotion, more real and
malnutrition are still significant problems in the North- practical actions have to be taken if we want to halt the
western IGP. Over-reliance on staple crops is a leading cause continuous rise in vitamin A deficiency in the world and food
of persistent malnutrition coupled with low dietary diversity insecurity. Scientists and policymakers are urged to recognize
in North-western IGP. NUS have a central role to play in the the potential of neglected crops and create real alternatives
fight against hunger and malnutrition, but they are currently and technologies to promote the sustainable use of neglected
overlooked. There are four-dimensional benefits of future crops while contributing to fight hunger, malnutrition, and
smart food (i.e.NUS) and their potential contribution to food insecurity.
achieving Zero Hunger: nutrition, climate resilience, NUS crops can help to increase the diversification of food
economic potential and local relevance. From a food system production, adding new species to our diets that can result in a
perspective, transforming agriculture and food systems into better supply of particular nutrients. NUS crops can also
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