Rediscovering Asia’s forgotten crops to fight world hunger

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-02-16 03:00

Australia; International; WA

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

Asia has a rich variety of nutritious ‘neglected crops’, domesticated since ancient times but mostly forgotten or unused today, according to Aussie and international researchers, and they could potentially play an important role in reducing or eliminating world hunger. The team says the crops, which include cereals, roots, nuts, pulses, fruits and vegetables, are adapted to their local area, resilient to environmental challenges, and highly nutritious. Changing current agricultural practices, which include just a few crops, to a more diverse selection is a promising approach to closing current gaps in production and nutrition in Asia, and these forgotten crops could be the key, say the researchers.