Transforming Global Food Systems: The Role of Underutilised Crops in Crisis Resilience and Nutrition

Transforming Global Food Systems: The Role of Underutilised Crops in Crisis Resilience and Nutrition

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  Transforming the globalfood system in a time of crises: why underutilised crops matter Prof Sayed Azam-Ali OBE Executive Director, Crops For the Future Chair, UN High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition Emeritus Chair in Global Food Security, University of Nottingham, UK sayed@cffinternational.com The Ninth Revolution; transforming food systems for good https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12262#t=aboutBook
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  We have beenwarned!
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  • 20% offossil fuels • 30% of fertilizers
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  31 January 2020 23March 2021 1 January 2024 24 February 2022
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  We have beenwarned 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Food Price Index We have been warned
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  FAO. Staple foods:what do people eat? [Internet]. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; [date unknown] [cited 2021 Jan 29]. http://www.fao.org/3/u8480e/u8480e07.html. Ranganathan J, Waite R, Searchinger T, Hanson C. How to sustainably feed 10 billion people by 2050, in 21 charts [Internet]. Washington DC: World Resources Institute; 2018 Dec 5 [cited 2021 Jan 29]. https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/12/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts. 500,000 7,000 60 4 >60% of calories in global diet fuel, feed, fodder, fructose Fossil Food Supply Chain
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  Fortification Biofortification Business-as usual Climate
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  500,000 7,000 60 4 Why underutilised cropsmatter Some can be `opportunity crops’ of the future – but which?
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  Opportunity crop ✓Climate Resilient ✓Nutritious ✓DesirableFamiliar Foods Forgotten Foods Evidence-base
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  Desirable Opportunity Crops FamiliarFoods
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  ➢ Protein 17-25% ➢Carbohydrate 55-72% ➢ Fibre 17% ➢ Fat 6% Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea): ➢ Protein 9-25% ➢ Calcium 185-440 mg ➢ Iron 1-4 mg ➢ Magnesium 42-147 mg Moringa Oleifera ✓Climate Resilient ✓Nutritious ? Desirable opportunity crops
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  Deliverables ASSESSCROP SELECTCROP Bambara Groundnutand Moringa: Commercial products from climate resilient and nutritious underutilised crops Courtesy WhatIf Foods, Singapore Proof of Concept Prototypes Commercial Products
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  Desirable Opportunity Crops ForgottenFoods
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  Ingredients Cuisines Knowledge Evidence https://www.gfar.net/documents/global-manifesto-forgotten-foods
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  Desirable Opportunity Crops GlobalEvidence Base
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  LEADERSHIP RESEARCH MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TRAINING CropBASE Agro- practices Nutrition Market Consumers Varieties/ Landraces/ Cultivar Synonyms& other names Uses Underutilised? Origin Germplasm collections Ecology Season Potential yield Crop management Intercropping with Proximate composition Vitamins & minerals Energy Amino acids & fatty acids Antinutrients & toxins Crop prices Post harvest Products Sensory Income Climate Resilient? Nutritious? Desirable? Opportunity Crop? http://cropbase.co.uk
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  17 China: potential bambaragroundnut production Italy: Potential diversification at 1km spatial resolution opportunity crops of the future? http://cropbase.co.uk/src/selectcrop/
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  18 Useful background reading Reports HLPE(2019). Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition. (of 2019) https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/ff385e60-0693-40fe-9a6b-79bbef05202c/content HLPE (2011) Price volatility and food security. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/b04ec0d2-58a6-4bfb-9c4e-5160d1780e3d/content HLPE (2022). The impacts on global food security and nutrition of the military conflict in Ukraine https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/cfs/HLPE/reports/issues_paper/Impacts_conflict_Ukraine_FSN_HLPE_Issues_Paper.pdf FAO (2026). Global Agrifood Implications of the 2026 Conflict in the Middle East: Impacts on energy and fertilizer trade, and food security. https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/050e610e-eedd-4b0e-a632-85058dc55da0 Global Manifesto on Forgotten Foods https://www.gfar.net/documents/global-manifesto-forgotten-foods Books and Papers Azam-Ali, S.N. (2021) The Ninth Revolution: transforming food systems for good, World Scientific Publishers. 376 pages. https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12262#t=aboutBook Wimalasiri, E. M., Jahanshiri, E., Perego, A., & Azam-Ali, S. N. (2022). A Novel Crop Shortlisting Method for Sustainable Agricultural Diversification across Italy. Agronomy, 12(7), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12071636 Jahanshiri, E., Von Goh, E., Wimalasiri, E. M, Azam-Ali, S. N., Mayes, S., Suhairi, T. A. S. T. M., Nizar, N. M. M., Mohd Sinin, S.(2022). The Potential of Bambara Groundnut; an Analysis for the People’s Republic of China. Food and Energy Security. https://doi.org/10.1002/fes3.358. Terribile, F.; Acutis, M.; Agrillo, A.; Anzalone, E.; Azam-Ali, S.; Bancheri, M.; Baumann, P.; Birli, B.; Bonfante, A.; Botta, M. (2024). The LANDSUPPORT Geospatial Decision Support System (S- DSS) Vision: Operational Tools to Implement Sustainability Policies in Land Planning and Management. Land Degradation & Development 2024, 35, 813–834, doi:10.1002/ldr.4954. Azam-Ali, S.N.; Gregory, P.J., Jahanshiri, E. (2024). Diversifying the UK Agrifood System: A Role for Neglected and Underutilised Crops. Agronomy 2024, 14, 853. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040853 Podcast 24/3/2026. Deepseed : we built our entire food system on just four crops. https://lnkd.in/dUrGE-hD