Study highlights potential of Africa's 'forgotten' food crops for climate resilience and nutrition Food Nutrition Agriculture Africa Farming ClimateChange Fruit Vegetable Crops PNASNews WorldVegCenter ICRAF uacbenin q_nationaltaiwa
Study: Forgotten food crops in sub-Saharan Africa for healthy diets in a changing climate. Image Credit: eric1207cvb / Shutterstock
Several traditional African plants that have gradually changed over centuries with human food systems can support crop diversification in sub-Saharan Africa to produce healthy foods and support zero hunger policies. However, the mainstream cropping systems have mostly neglected these plants because of an inclination toward Western food and a massive change in land use in recent decades.
They have further hypothesized that if a candidate forgotten food crop can grow in a location under 2070 climatic conditions where current stables may no longer grow, it can help replace the major crops and design new cropping systems. Related StoriesThe most prominent climate change was predicted at locations of maize and yam production. This indicates an urgent need for diversification or replacement of these two staples. In contrast, a minimal climate change was predicted for locations currently suitable for cassava and rice production.
Considering still-suitable and future climate conditions at production locations of major staples, a higher coverage by candidate crops was observed for still-suitable climates compared to that for future climates. The study further identified a panel of 58 forgotten food crops from all the food groups and found that these crops have the highest coverage for still-suitable and future climates at production locations of major staples.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Space scientists reveal brightest gamma explosion everNasa satellites detected an explosion two billion lightyears away which lit up the galaxy.
Read more »
Space scientists reveal brightest gamma explosion everNasa satellites detected an explosion two billion lightyears away which lit up the galaxy.
Read more »
Scientists discover ultramassive black hole 30bn times the size of the SunScientists from Durham University have discovered the gargantuan black hole that is 30bn times the mass of the Sun.
Read more »
Scientists speak out: Please don’t call us boffinsQuirky Brit idiom, or confusing and gendered term that could deter people from studying the field?
Read more »