NUCNet In-Focus Meeting: Commercial interest and expansion of NUCs into markets

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Executive summary

How can novel and underutilised crops move from promising ideas to viable markets? This meeting brought together perspectives from across the food system to explore the connected challenges of production, processing, supply chains, consumer demand and investment. The discussion highlighted the need to build supply and demand together, reduce risk for growers and businesses, and create products and stories that resonate with consumers. It also showed how greater crop diversity could strengthen climate resilience while supporting environmental, cultural and commercial goals. Read the full meeting summary to discover the key barriers, opportunities and collaborative next steps identified by the NUCNet community.

Summary of meeting discussion

NUCNet’s second In-Focus Meeting brought members together to explore the opportunities and challenges involved in expanding markets for novel and underutilised crops. Thank you to Pete Iannetta, NUCNet Co-Lead at The James Hutton Institute, for leading the meeting, and to all those who contributed their knowledge, practical experience and perspectives to a wide-ranging discussion.

The conversation highlighted just how interconnected the journey from crop to consumer is, encompassing production, processing, supply chains, market development, consumer awareness and demand. Once again, we welcomed a diverse cross-section of the NUCNet community, with participants joining from across the UK and representing a range of organisational sectors

After a brief introduction to NUCNet by Mark Chapman, NUCNet Project Lead at the University of Southampton, Pete Iannetta began the meeting with a presentation drawing on learning from the RADIANT project and related initiatives exploring how dynamic value chains can be developed for underutilised crops. A central challenge is the interdependency between supply and demand: growers need confidence that reliable markets exist before investing in unfamiliar crops, while retailers and processors need confidence that sufficient quantities and quality can be supplied before committing to them. Reducing risk through contracts, agronomic support, cooperation and coordinated value chains was therefore highlighted as important.

The presentation also explored consumer acceptance. Evidence presented suggested that cultural heritage, quality, provenance, nutritional value and price can be important influences, while technical or scientific terminology may be less effective when communicating with consumers. Branding, certification, storytelling, gastronomy and tourism were identified as possible ways of building interest and establishing markets. A recurring message was the need for greater coordination across the value chain, potentially supported by intermediaries or aggregators able to connect growers, processors, buyers and consumers.

Key themes from the discussion

Developing supply and demand together

A strong theme was the difficulty of developing a new crop when different parts of the value chain depend upon one another. Farmers need confidence in a viable market before committing land and resources, while processors, manufacturers and retailers require dependable supplies before investing in new products or markets. Demonstration projects, grower trials and closer collaboration between science and business could help provide the evidence needed to reduce risk. There was also discussion around whether particular crops should be prioritised according to their potential to grow successfully in the UK alongside clear market opportunities. Participants also noted that market demand alone is unlikely to drive adoption unless growers have access to suitable processing infrastructure, agronomic communities of knowledge, databases and practical guidance on issues such as pest, disease and weed management

Climate adaptation through greater crop diversity

Changing and increasingly unpredictable weather was seen as an important reason for exploring a broader range of crops. Rather than simply identifying crops suited to a warmer climate, participants highlighted the importance of coping with greater variability and associated risks. Increasing crop diversity could provide farmers and the wider food system with more options, helping to spread risk across different crops and uses. Participants also stressed that commercial and environmental viability need to be considered together, and highlighted the importance of understanding potential trade-offs, including impacts on biodiversity, pollinators and wider ecosystem services, to ensure that crop diversification delivers genuine environmental and agricultural benefits.

Moving from production to products consumers want

Successfully growing a crop is only part of the challenge. Discussion highlighted the importance of understanding how NUCs can become ingredients in familiar, attractive and affordable foods and products. Product development, processing, nutritional qualities and collaboration with chefs and food manufacturers could all help create demand. Consumer education, accessible language, effective packaging and opportunities to taste and experience unfamiliar crops were also identified as important in overcoming misconceptions and building familiarity.

Broadening what we mean by novel and underutilised crops

The discussion questioned where the boundaries of an “underutilised crop” should sit. What is underutilised can be highly context-specific and could include heritage varieties and landraces alongside crops that are new to UK production. Participants also broadened the conversation beyond annual field crops to include perennial crops, tree crops and wild or historically used species. This highlighted opportunities to reconnect food production with local landscapes, cultural heritage and biodiversity, as well as introducing crops and foods from elsewhere.

Creating an enabling food system

The conversation repeatedly returned to the wider food system in which NUCs must operate. Barriers discussed included processing capacity, access to capital, regulation, farmer returns, consumer behaviour and the distribution of value along supply chains. Both short, locally focused value chains and the potential for some crops to reach larger-scale markets were considered important. Greater collaboration between researchers, growers, businesses, community organisations, policymakers and others across the food system was seen as necessary to test new approaches and help promising opportunities progress beyond small-scale experimentation.

Key takeaways and next steps

The discussion highlighted that expanding novel, and underutilised crops cannot be tackled through crop science, consumer demand or market development in isolation. Progress will depend on connecting these elements and creating opportunities for growers, researchers, processors, businesses, communities and policymakers to work together. There is no single model for success: opportunities may range from distinctive local and short value chains to crops capable of developing into larger markets. Building stronger communities around crops, improving knowledge exchange, testing opportunities through collaborative projects and strengthening science-business partnerships emerged as important next steps. For NUCNet, the discussion reinforces the value of bringing different parts of the food system together to identify barriers, make new connections and turn promising ideas into collaborations and future research.