Neglected and underused crops are also known as orphan, abandoned, lost, underutilized, local, minor, traditional, alternative, niche, or underdeveloped crops[1] and more lately often referred to as forgotten or smart food. These crops are domesticated plant species that have been used for centuries or even millennia for their food, fibre, fodder, oil or medicinal properties, but have been reduced in importance over time owing to particular supply and use constraints. These can include, inter alia, poor shelf life, unrecognized nutritional value, poor consumer awareness and reputational problems (famine food or "poor people's food", sometimes due to the modernization of agricultural practices). Some crops have been so neglected that genetic erosion of their genepools has become so severe that they are often regarded as lost crops.[2]

As the demand for plant and crop attributes changes (reappraisal or discovery of nutritional traits, culinary value, adaptation to climate change, etc.), neglected crops can overcome the constraints to the wider production and use. As a matter of fact, many formerly neglected crops are now globally significant crops (oilpalm, soybean, kiwi fruit). Although the options for scaling up neglected crops for large-scale agriculture appear to be increasingly exhausted, many species have the potential to contribute to food security, nutrition, dietary and culinary diversification, health and income generation. They also provide environmental services.[3] It is impossible to define what would constitute "proper" or "correct" levels of use; however, many neglected species evidently are underused relative to their nutritional value and productivity.

Annona cherimola) on sale in Cali, Colombia. In left background: domestically produced mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) Cherimoya () on sale in Cali, Colombia. In left background: domestically produced mangosteen (

Vigna subterranea) from Buzi district in Mozambique Bambara groundnut () from Buzi district in Mozambique

Adding to that, orphan crops also helps in food security. Thus exist when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life, especially during famine.

Overview [ edit ]

Chenopodium quinoa), Cachilaya[ clarification needed ], Bolivia, Province La Paz, Lake Titicaca seen in background. Landscape with quinoa (), Cachilaya, Bolivia, Province La Paz, Lake Titicaca seen in background.

Just three crops - maize, wheat and rice - account for about 50% of the world's consumption of calories and protein.[4] About 95% of the world's food needs are provided by just 30 species of plants.[5] In stark contrast, at least 12,650 species names have been compiled as edible.[6] Neglected and underutilized plants are those that could be - and, in many cases, historically have been - used for food and other uses on a larger scale.

Such crop species have also been described as "minor", "orphan", "promising" and "little-used".

Definition [ edit ]

It is difficult to precisely define which attributes make a crop "underutilized", but often they display the following features:

Linkage with the cultural heritage of their places of origin

Local and traditional crops whose distribution, biology, cultivation and uses are poorly documented

Adaptation to specific agroecological niches and marginal land

Weak or no formal seed supply systems

Traditional uses in localized areas

Produced in traditional production systems with little or no external inputs

Receive little attention from research, extension services, policy and decision makers, donors, technology providers and consumers [7]

May be highly nutritious and/or have medicinal properties or other multiple uses

Neglected crops are primarily grown by traditional farmers. These species may be widely distributed beyond their centres of origin but tend to occupy special niches in the local production and consumption systems. They are important for the subsistence of local communities, yet remain poorly documented and neglected by the mainstream research and development activities.[8]

Underutilized crops are those marginalized by farmers and consumers due to agronomic, genetic, economic, environmental and cultural reason, which were once important and major crop in the community.[8]

Importance [ edit ]

They continue to play an important role in the subsistence and economy of poor people throughout the developing world, particularly in the agrobiodiversity-rich tropics. Despite their potential for dietary diversification and the provision of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, they continue to attract little research and development attention.

Alongside their commercial potential, many of the underused crops also provide important environmental services, as they are adapted to marginal soil and climate conditions.

Constraints [ edit ]

The following are frequent constraints:[2]

limited germplasm available;

lack of technical information;

lack of national policy;

lack of interest by researchers, agriculturists and extension workers;

lack of producer interest.

Examples [ edit ]

Digitaria exilis)] that helps feed his family in southern Senegal Village chief of Boula Téné, [Senegal] Theodore Mada Keita, holds up the fonio grain [White fonio ()] that helps feed his family in southern Senegal

Determination of the underutilized status of a crop varies among researchers. Different criteria and approaches are used to define this particular group of crop. Neglect refers to the attention the crop has received from research and development and can be evaluated by how well national and international policy and legal frameworks and research and development programmes support the conservation and sustainable use of the crop. Underutilisation is particular to the geography and potential for a crop to contribute to better to diets and production systems. It should be noted that in any cases where exotic species or diversified species are underutilized at certain region, these are not necessarily underutilized in other parts of the worlds.[2] Below is an example list of neglected and underutilized species that is not exhaustive.

Cereal and pseudocereal crops [ edit ]

Fruits and nuts species [ edit ]

Ziziphus mauritiana (dry fruits) for sale at the Luangwa turn-off on Great East road, Zambia. (dry fruits) for sale at the Luangwa turn-off on Great East road, Zambia.

Vegetable and pulse crops [ edit ]

Ipomoea aquatica photographed in the Sunday Market, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia photographed in the Sunday Market, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Root and tuber crops [ edit ]

Ullucus tuberosus) for sale in southern Peru Ulluco tubers () for sale in southern Peru

Other crops [ edit ]

Industrial underutilized crops [ edit ]

Bixa orellana fruit open, showing the seeds from which fruit open, showing the seeds from which annatto is extracted, photographed in Campinas, Brazil

Oil seeds [ edit ]

International events that fostered underutilized crops [ edit ]

Logo of the international year of Quinoa 2013

See also [ edit ]