Conservation and Use of Underutilized Crops: Challenges and Way Forward

Abstract

This paper reinforces the importance of underutilized crops and the need for organized research eff orts for their
improvement. These include species also classifi ed as underexploited crops, under-developed crops, underused
crops, abandoned crops, lost crops, orphan crops, minor crops, traditional crops, forgotten crops, vanishing
crops, local crops, indigenous crops, niche crops, life support species, poor people’s crops, subsistence crops,
crops for future, nutri-rich crops, and new potential crops, which have great potential to be used in mainsteam
agriculture. The domestication of new crops would promote agricultural diversity and could provide a solution
to many of the problems associated with intensive agriculture. Being nutritionally very rich, they have proved
good potential for food and nutritional security, health and income generation especially for local communities.
The use of modern science to improve their productivity, value addition and use by agro-industries are new
opportunities that need to be harnessed.