Economic importance and consumer preferences for neglected and underutilized crop species in Karnataka

Abstract

Food and nutritional security has been increasingly narrowing down to a few crops. More than 50 per cent of the Global requirement of proteins and calories are being met by just three crops namely, maize, wheat and rice. Only 150 crops are being commercially cultivated at the Global level, while mankind had used more than 7000 edible plant species over time. The narrowing base of Global food security crops and also the climate change is limiting livelihood options for the rural poor particularly those dwelling in the marginal areas. There is an urgent need to shift the focus of agricultural research and development to include a wider range of crop species by including the neglected crops as one of the options. Neglected and Underutilized crop Species (NUS) are emerging as one such option as they have higher nutrition content and also climate resilient.