There are growing calls to adopt more sustainable forms of agriculture that balance the need to increase production with environmental, human health, and wellbeing concerns. Part of this conversation has included a debate on promoting and mainstreaming neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) because they represent a more ecologically friendl...
Farmers in Africa are facing unprecedented challenges to deal with changing and anomalous climates and related crop management problems caused by (new) biotic and abiotic stresses. Current seed systems are not serving their needs due to various shortcomings and constraints. Although there have been some scattered successful efforts to provide solut...
Biochemical characterisation of germplasm collections and crop wild relatives (CWRs) facilitates the assessment of biological potential and the selection of breeding lines for crop improvement. Data from the biochemical characterisation of staple root, tuber and banana (RTB) crops, i.e. banana (Musa spp.), cassava (Manihot esculenta), potato (Solan...
The African continent harbours many native species with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential. This study reviewed underutilised crops in South Africa to determine their potential as food and herbal medicinal crops. Over 5,000 species have been identified and earmarked for their medical attributes in formal and informal setups. Researchers, pl...
This report gives an overview of current use and conservation practices and related knowledge of neglected and under underutilized species in Ghana, a brief description of the roles of key stakeholders (government, knowledge institutes, private sector and civil society), identification of knowledge gaps, and a strategy for the promotion of NUS.
This guide presents a systematic process to investigate, in a participatory manner, the current and potential roles of neglected and underutilized species, jointly with local communities. The process is divided in two major parts or phases: 1) Exploration; 2) Action learning.
For rural communities in Ghana, neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) are important for nutrition, food security and income generation. However, little is known about their diversity and potential; very little has been published about NUS in Ghana. This review summarizes the main findings of a review of recent literature.
Although the African continent is considered as the most diverse region in the world in terms of wild and cultivated foods, especially Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s most food in-secure region. Regarding the requirements for healthy and nutritious diets, the potentials of many edible plant species remain unexploited. To better understand th...
