Orphan Crops for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security : Promoting Neglected and Underutilized Species

This book discusses the issues, challenges, needs and opportunities related to the promotion of orphan crops, known also as neglected and underutilized species (NUS). The book is structured into seven parts, covering the following themes: introduction to NUS, integrated conservation and use of minor millets, nutritional and food security roles of minor millets, approaches, methods and tools for the use enhancement of NUS, voices from the communities and the private sector, building and enabling environment, and global champions and way forward. Presenting a number of case studies at regional and country level, the chapters cover different but highly interlinked aspects along the value chains, from acquisition and characterization of genetic diversity, cultivation, harvesting to value addition, marketing, consumption and policy for mainstreaming. Cross cutting issues like gender, capacity building and empowerment of vulnerable groups will be also addressed by authors. Representatives from communities and the private sector will be also sharing their reflections on the needs for the use enhancement of NUS from their own perspectives. International agencies, such as the Overseas Development Institute which have been supporting NUS projects around the world, will be also offering their views on how they see the future direction of research and development to bring NUS out of their status of marginalization. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of food security, sustainable agriculture, nutrition and health and development, as well as practitioners and policymakers involved in building more resilience food and production systems.