 |
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (December 2009) |
 |
This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. WikiProject Agriculture or the Agriculture Portal may be able to help recruit one. (December 2009) |
Neglected and Underutilized crops (NUS) are plant species that are used traditionally for their food, fibre, fodder, oil or medicinal properties. They have an under-exploited potential to contribute to food security, nutrition, health, income generation and environmental services.[1] They have often been overlooked by scientific research and by development workers.[2]
Contents |
Overview
NUS are cultivated to a significantly smaller degree than they demonstrably could be. Just three crops - maize, wheat and rice - account for about half of the world's consumption of protein and calories. 95% of the world's food needs are provided for by just 30 species of plants. In stark contrast, an estimated 7,500 species are considered edible in the world today. Underutilized and neglected plants are those that could be - and, in many cases, historically have been - used for food on a larger scale.
Alongside their commercial potential, many of the NUS also provide important environmental services, as they are adapted to marginal soil and climate conditions.
To be considered as an "underutilized crop", a plant must meet three criteria:
- Proven food or energy value
- Proven able to be cultivated. Either:
-
- The plant has been widely cultivated in the past, or
- The plant is currently cultivated in a limited geographical area
- Currently cultivated less than other comparable plants
Neglected and Underutilzed crops have the following common features:
- Represent an enormous wealth of agrobiodiversity and have great potential for contributing to improved incomes, food security and nutrition, and for combating the 'hidden hunger' caused by micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiencies
- Are strongly linked to the cultural heritage of their places of origin
- Are mainly local and traditional crops (with their ecotypes and landraces) or wild species whose distribution, biology, cultivation and uses are poorly documented
- Tend to be adapted to specific agro-ecological niches and marginal land
- Have weak or no formal seed supply systems
- Are recognized to have traditional uses in localized areas
- Are collected from the wild or produced in traditional production systems with little or no external inputs
- Receive little attention from research, extension services, farmers, policy and decision makers, donors, technology providers and consumers
- May be highly nutritious and/or have medicinal properties or other multiple uses.
See also
References
External links
The terms "underutilized crops" or "underutilized species" have come into common use in recent years through the activities of such organizations and conferences as:
- The Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species, formed in 2002 by:
-
- Bioversity International (formerly IPGRI)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
- International Centre for Underutilised Crops (ICUC) website
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammnenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ), Germany
Database
- NUS Database Asia
- US Plant Database Search Page
- Spices - by Gernot Katzer
- Photos of Asian Plants - Hiroshima University
- NewCROP the New Crop Resource Online Program
Multimedia
- DIVERSEEDS film clip about Salicornia NUS and desert agriculture
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
