Modern agriculture generally focuses on the cultivation of three major staple crops (rice, maize and wheat), which provide about half the global human requirement for protein and calories. However, around 7,000 other wild plant species around the world are cultivated or harvested for food. Yet the contribution to nutrition security of these species (often referred to as ‘neglected and underutilized species’ or ‘orphan crops’) is largely unappreciated.
These neglected and underutilized species (NUS) play a crucial role in the food security, income generation and food culture of the rural poor. They are also often more resilient than staple crops, because they are better adapted to grow in marginal areas, with little need for irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers. Yet the lack of attention by mainstream research and development programs means their potential value is under-estimated and under-exploited, with many under threat of disappearance. However, as Bioversity International discovered, rural women have an important role to play in the conservation of agricultural biodiversity for food security.
In 2001, Bioversity began implementing a project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): “Enhancing the contribution of neglected and underutilized species to food security and to incomes of the rural poor.” The recently concluded project promoted the sustainable conservation and use of NUS in India and Bolivia and helped reduce processing times for quinoa and minor millets with the help of modern mechanical processing equipment, thereby encouraging women to reintroduce these nutritious crops into their families’ diets.
“Women have too often been marginalized by research and development,” said Stefano Padulosi, a Bioversity senior scientist. “So in this project we have tried to correct that.”
Following on from this research, Bioversity recently launched a 3 year project to enhance the on-farm conservation of NUS.