Prospects of Underutilized Crops in Combating Poverty, Malnutrition, and Hunger

Abstract

In the past few years, in particular the post green revolution era, we are struggling to provide, food, income, nutrition and environmental sustainability to the larger section of the world population. We have achieved the goal of food security in different parts of the world through green revolution by focusing on few staple crops, however over the years, the global food security in the world is constrained by many factors including overreliance on few key staple crops with many socioeconomic and ecological challenges. In order to make the world more sustainable in terms of food security, the alternative food crops which have potential to become one of the major food crops should be included in the diets of the people. To address the hunger and malnutrition in the world, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries, various international organizations have made emphasis on the potential utilization of the minor food crops in daily cuisine of people in combination with staple food crops. The prospects of underutilized crops in achieving the food and nutritional security in the world have been discussed in the following subheads.