Mitigating Global Food and Nutritional Insecurity: Role of Indigenous Crops

Abstract

Indigenous plants adapt well to marginal conditions, a situation that is essential for resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems in a rapidly changing global climate. These plants are known to be highly nutritious containing a wide array of antioxidants from their various parts including the leaves, stems, roots, branches, flowers etc. Polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavonoids are major examples of these antioxidants which are chiefly found in many indigenous fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The cultivation of these crops creates employment, providing a unique hotspot for biodiversity conservation as well as providing raw materials for most industries in the world. This review has also provided particular uses of these crops and their potential to combat food insecurity. The rapid exploitation of these crops and the lack of knowledge on their conservation is a major problem to global nutritional and food insecurity. Additionally, the rapid growth in population and technology will significantly impact the productive uses of these vital species. It is therefore crucial to provide a comprehensive review on the role of some of these plants in combating the food security issues globally.