Global food production predominantly depends on a limited number of cereal crops; however, numerous other crops have the potential to support the nutrition and economy of many local communities in developing countries. The different crop species characterized as having relatively low perceived economic importance or agricultural significance are known as underutilized crops. Millet is one of the underutilized crops with significant potential to address nutrient and hunger-related challenges in many developing countries like Nepal due to its versatility and climate resilience. Little is known about the determinants of adoption, cultural importance, and nutritional benefits of millet. Therefore, this study uses data from 1988 to 2019 and examines trends in millet production and its climate resilience, employing the Dynamic Ordinary Least Square Method. Results indicate that fertilizer use, cultivated area, and rural population significantly impact millet production in Nepal, while mean temperature has a negative but insignificant effect. The findings suggest that climate change does not significantly impact millet production. Millet is well adapted to challenging environments and offers superior nutritional value, suggesting that integration of millet into modern agriculture could be a valuable tool for creating a more sustainable, equitable, resilient, and healthy agrifood system that benefits both people and the planet. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers to enhance underutilized crops such as millet and implement strategies to integrate them into central agrifood systems. It also has a more considerable socio-economic impact on local communities.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-85090-9 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Asian Development Bank Institute, Research, Tokyo, 100-6008, Japan.
Global food production predominantly depends on a limited number of cereal crops; however, numerous other crops have the potential to support the nutrition and economy of many local communities in developing countries. The different crop species characterized as having relatively low perceived economic importance or agricultural significance are known as underutilized crops. Millet is one of the underutilized crops with significant potential to address nutrient and hunger-related challenges in many developing countries like Nepal due to its versatility and climate resilience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Chem
January 2025
Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal 148106, Punjab, India. Electronic address:
Millets are drought-resistant crops that generate significant amount of by-products (bran, husk, stalk etc.) during harvesting and processing. These by-products are storehouse of nutrients and high value compounds including polyphenols, dietary fiber, proteins etc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntiinflamm Antiallergy Agents Med Chem
January 2025
Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research and Education, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka.
The potential of underutilized plant species to improve food security, health, eco-nomic output, and the environment has not been fully realized. Sri Lanka an island on the Indian Ocean is home to numerous plant species with significant medicinal potential, in-cluding many underutilized plants that could help meet the growing demand for food, en-ergy, medicines, and industrial resources. Globally, there are over a thousand known and unknown phytochemicals derived from plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHunger remains a prevalent issue worldwide, and with a changing climate, it is expected to become an even greater problem that our food systems are not adapted to. There is therefore a need to investigate strategies to fortify our foods and food systems. Underutilized crops are farmed regionally, are often adapted to stresses, including droughts, and have great nutritional profiles, potentially being key for food security.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Sci Nutr
January 2025
Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences Cape Peninsula University of Technology Bellville South Africa.
Climate change, drought, and soil salinization present huge limitations to global agricultural output, which threatens food security. This necessitates the cultivation and domestication of wild edible halophytes as alternatives to mainstream food crops, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. is one of the under-researched and underutilized edible halophytes native to South Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!