Dear Colleagues
Research and history show that 40-100000 plant species have been largely and regularly used for industrial,cultural,food,fibres and medicinal purpose.Out of which about 7000 cultivated species are in use today around the world.30 or thereabout crops species have become intensively and widely used and are now the basis of much of the world's agriculture. These commodity crops have been the focus of attention of markets and scientific research world wide. The fate of the vast majority of the remaining agro-biodensity has been quite different.
Some species have replaced or fallen into disuse, while others have remained important in their centres of origin or secondary centre of diversity, but largely ignored commerce and science.
underutilized resources are those resources with under-exploited potential for contributing to income generation, food security, health (nutritional/medicinal. It means neglected minor or promising niche as well.
It may interest us to know that global food security has become increasingly dependent on a handful of crops. Over 50% of daily global requirement of protein and calories is met by just three crops maize, wheat and rice. (FAO 1996) and only 150 crops are commercialized on a significant global scale.
Meanwhile ethnobatanic survey indicate that worldwide more than 7000 plant species are cultivated or harvested from the wild (Rehm and Espig 1991)
These species:
1-represent an enormous wealth of agrobiodiversity and have great potential for contributing to improved income, food security and nutrition and for combating the hidden hunger caused (by micro nutrient, vitamin and mineral)deficiencies.
2- are strongly linked to the cultural heritage of their places of origin (Since RCEs are locally and regionally based, we should give special attention to this point)
3-are mainly local and traditional crops (with their ecotypes and landraces) or wild species whose distribution, biology,cultivation and uses are poorly documented.
4-tend to be adapted to specific agro-ecological riches and marginal land
5-have weak or no formal seed supply systems
6-are recognized to have traditional uses in localized areas
7-are collected from the wild or produced in traditional production system with little or external inputs
8-receive little attention from research and extension services, farmers, policy and decision makers and consumers.
9-may be highly nutritious and/or have medicinal properties or other multiple uses.
ASSUMPTION:
-Population growth
-Agricultural land will be increasingly converted to non-agricultural purposes, thus increasing competition for remaining land area.
-Globalization will allow more international exchange of knowledge and goods.