What is the Challenge?
Climate change could cost the UK billions annually, in part because of its effect on agriculture. Diversifying current farm practices is necessary for the UK to continue to grow nutritious food in a changing climate, without degrading biodiversity and being resilient to global shocks.
Utilising novel and underutilised crops (NUCs) is the one unexplored route to diversification. NUCs are those currently rarely grown in the UK, but with potential as an alternative food source. Identifying and overcoming barriers to their incorporation into the food system requires coordinated, interdisciplinary collaboration across the entire food system. Bringing together farmers, breeders, processors, retailers, researchers and communities is essential to deliver solutions that maximise benefits for people, businesses and the environment – a challenge that sits at the heart of NUCNet’s mission.
NUCNet Goals
- Galvanise and connect the NUC research community with producers and diverse communities across the UK, generating an inclusive interdisciplinary network of expertise.
- Identify barriers and opportunities for incorporation of NUCs into the UK food system.
- Pump-prime small research projects and support teams to develop capacity leading to larger bids, adding value to the network and the BBSRC investment.
- Develop relationships between the network and community groups to allow knowledge exchange and to influence society and policy.
