As global hunger and malnutrition remain stubbornly persistent—affecting more than 700 million people annually—the world continues to place its food security bets on a narrow trio of crops: wheat, maize, and rice. But what if the answer to nourishing the planet lies not in what’s new, but in what has been forgotten?
Across the fields of sub-Saharan Africa, countless traditional crops—resilient, nutritious, and culturally rooted—have been sidelined by industrial agriculture.
These neglected and underutilized crops (NUCs), once integral to community diets and ecological balance, now teeter on the edge of extinction. Yet, emerging research suggests they may hold the key to climate-resilient agriculture, rural empowerment, and nutritional security.
In this article, we dive into the evidence: What makes them so important? Why have they been overlooked? And how are actors like FSPN Africa reimagining these crops through technology, innovation, and policy to address food and nutrition security in a rapidly changing world?
What is the risk of global dependence on few major food crops like rice, maize and wheat?
More than 50% of the global population's caloric intake is derived from just three major crops: rice, wheat, and maize. This concentration has made global food systems highly vulnerable to climate change, pests, and economic shocks.
As these staple crops become increasingly susceptible to the effects of global warming and ecological degradation, the world faces heightened risks of food insecurity and nutrition deficiency.
Such dependency also leads to the erosion of agrobiodiversity. This trend neglects the thousands of edible plants once central to traditional diets, many of which are now vanishing from fields and plates alike.
The consequences are already visible: decreased resilience of farming systems, nutrient-poor diets, and marginalization of smallholder farmers who often cultivate the crops best suited to local environments. There is a dire need for you to connect the dots backwards to trace crops best suited to your environment.
What is the status of the neglected and underutilized crop species?
Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species (NUCS) encompass cereals, tubers, legumes, vegetables, and fruits that have traditionally formed part of rural diets but are now overshadowed by globally commercialized crops.
Studies show that few varieties have been documented, including indigenous varieties of maize, African Leafy vegetables, sorghum, sweet potatoes and pulses.
Despite their rich nutritional content and adaptability to local agro-ecological zones, these crops are marginalized in research, breeding programs, and national food security strategies.
Many are at risk of genetic erosion due to a lack of documentation, low seed availability, punitive seed sharing laws and dwindling indigenous knowledge.
What does the rural households say about neglected and underutilized crop species?
The perception of rural households is a mixture of familiarity and concern. Most people in indigenous communities have broad awareness of the NUCs as part of their daily meals which is also significant in food system.
However, things are changing and you will find many households acknowledging that they are being significantly displaced by ‘improved varieties’, primarily due to changing preferences, shifts in market trends and limited institutional support.
Traditional uses of these crops range from nutritional to medicinal and ceremonial, highlighting their deep cultural and functional roots in rural livelihoods.
Despite recognition of their value, the lack of modern support systems has led to a slow erosion in their cultivation and use.
What are the contributions of NUCS to households’ food security?
NUCS contribute significantly to dietary diversity, resilience, and cultural food systems. These crops are used for daily meals, medicinal purposes, and rituals.
Many of these crops can thrive on marginal lands with low inputs, making them suitable for smallholder farmers operating in vulnerable environments.
Scientific literature confirms that crops they are climate-resilient, nutritionally rich, and culturally relevant (Yesuph et al., 2025). Their affordability and local availability allow resource-poor households to supplement or replace staple crops during climate-induced food shortages. NUCS also enhance ecosystem sustainability by conserving biodiversity and maintaining agroecological balance.
What Factors are Affecting Consumption of NUCS for Food Security?
From an econometric analysis there are multiple socio-economic and environmental factors that can significantly influence NUCS consumption:
- Age of household head: Older farmers are more inclined to consume NUCS due to experience and knowledge, increasing the probability of inclusion in household diets.
- Sex: Female-headed households were more likely to consume NUCS, possibly because these crops require low inputs and align with women’s food security strategies.
- Household size: Larger households showed higher consumption, likely due to the need to diversify food sources.
- Farming experience: When you have more years in agriculture and zeal for indigenous foods you are likely to grow and consume them.
- Education: Level of education increases farmers’ ability to obtain, process, and use information relevant to utilize different climate resilient crops. This means that when you share knowledge and skills with farmers on how to effectively utilize these crops, they will improve household consumption and income generation.
- Extension contact: Regular interactions with extension agents significantly enhanced consumption.
- Slope of land: farmers prefer to produce major crops in a flat arable space and allow marginal, unproductive land and eroded area for NUCS production.
What are the challenges confronting the production and consumption of NUCS?
Today, the consumption patterns NUCs have shifted over time especially influenced by socioeconomic factors. Here are several interrelated challenges identified affecting their production and consumption:
- Replacement with improved crop varieties and loss of local seeds: Many these have been replaced by high-yielding modern crops, causing genetic erosion and loss of traditional varieties.
- Changing dietary preferences: Urbanization and globalization have influenced rural diets, leading to change in teste and decreased demand for traditional crops. This is exacerbated by complexity in cooking methods.
- Loss of indigenous knowledge: Traditional ecological knowledge, including cultivation practices, food preparation, and medicinal use, is vanishing due to lack of intergenerational transfer and documentation.
- Inadequate awareness of nutritional value: The superior nutrient profiles of NUCS are not widely understood among consumers and producers.
- Social stigma: they are often perceived as "food for the poor," reducing their desirability.
- Lack of policy and institutional support: Limited government attention, extension services limitations, and lack of inclusion in seed preservation and sharing structures further marginalize NUCS.
These challenges reinforce each other, creating a cycle of neglect that is difficult to break without deliberate investment and policy attention.
What is Sustainability of NUCS?
Sustainability of NUCS is anchored in their adaptability to local environmental conditions and low-input agricultural systems. Unlike commercial staples, these crops such as pearl millet, amaranth and sweet potato require minimal irrigation, can tolerate drought, and thrive in degraded soils.
Moreover, these crops support environmental sustainability by reducing dependency on chemical inputs and preserving agro-biodiversity.
Their integration into farming systems helps mitigate climate risks, conserve water, and maintain soil health. They also contribute to social sustainability by preserving indigenous knowledge and cultural traditions.
At FSPN Africa we actively advance this sustainability through regenerative agriculture solutions, digital tools and agricultural technologies that facilitate varietal selection, and agronomic training and scaling of Agri-innovations by youth and women.
Through Living Labs, FSPN supports co-creation of solutions by communities and agri-innovators, ensuring NUCS are cultivated, processed, and marketed sustainably to enhance food safety, environmental resilience and create more income generation opportunities.
What Role(s) do NUCS Have to Play in the Future?
In the context of climate change and rising food insecurity, NUCS offer a viable alternative to current unsustainable food systems. Their ability to withstand extreme weather, enrich diets with micronutrients i.e. Vitamins and minerals , and support livelihoods on marginal lands make them indispensable for future agriculture (Chivenge et al., 2015).
NUCS also align with global calls for more inclusive, diverse, and resilient food systems. Their reintegration into farming landscapes can reduce dependency on external inputs, diversify diets, and secure food access for vulnerable populations.
We play a catalytic role by:
- Promoting value addition: enhancing the appeal and marketability of NUCS-based products
- Supporting agri-innovators: through mentorship, financing, and technological integration.
- Facilitating digital inclusion: enabling mobile-based agronomic advisory, democratizing access to indigenous knowledge and linking farmers to markets.
Through these interventions, FSPN Africa ensures that NUCS are not just a nostalgic memory but a future-facing solution to some of Africa's most pressing challenges.
For information, contact info@fspnafrica.org