NUCNet co-Lead Pete Iannetta from the James Hutton Institute, has a publication to share with members.

Bringing underutilised crops into the mainstream: Global food production depends heavily on wheat, maize and rice, despite the thousands of other edible crops available. A new review in Physiologia Plantarum examines how underutilised crops – including minor cereals, legumes, landraces and traditional vegetables – could help create more diverse, nutritious, and climate-resilient food systems. Many of these crops combine valuable nutritional qualities with traits such as drought tolerance, efficient nutrient use and suitability for lower-input farming. However, their benefits will not be realised through crop production alone. Wider adoption requires coordinated investment in seed systems, breeding, agronomic advice, processing, market development, consumer awareness and supportive policy. Drawing on experience from four European research projects – RADIANT, CROPDIVA, BIOVALUE and DIVINFOOD – the review highlights practical tools and participatory approaches that already helping farmers, processors, researchers and policymakers develop new value chains. Its central message is clear: moving underutilised crops from the margins into mainstream agriculture and diets requires transformation across the whole food system: from seed to field, market and plate.

Read full publication here: http://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.70989