Underutilized Vegetable Crops in the Mediterranean Region: A Literature Review of Their Requirements and the Ecosystem Services Provided

Author:

Platis Dimitrios P.1,Papoui Eleni2ORCID,Bantis Filippos2ORCID,Katsiotis Andreas3,Koukounaras Athanasios2ORCID,Mamolos Andreas P.1ORCID,Mattas Konstadinos4

Affiliation:

1. Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Protection, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

2. Laboratory of Vegetable Crops, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

3. Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Geotechnical Sciences and Environmental Management, Cyprus University of Technology, 50329 Limassol, Cyprus

4. Department of Agricultural Economics, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract

By 2050, the increasing demand for food will put additional pressure on natural resources. Underutilized crops, such as wild vegetables, are an essential component of the Mediterranean diet and are widely correlated with the traditional cuisine of Mediterranean countries. They could be widely associated with resistance to abiotic stress and enhanced genetic diversity, and could provide various ecosystem services. Their cultivation could support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN and the current EU policies related to environmentally friendly agriculture. Based on an extensive literature review, the aim of this paper is to summarize the environmental and ecological requirements of specific Mediterranean underutilized vegetables, the provisioning and regulating ecosystem services that could be derived from their cultivation, and their potential use. It is concluded that thorough planning of underutilized crop cultivation could enhance the provisioning and regulating ecosystem services that positively affect Mediterranean agriculture. However, further research should be carried out regarding their environmental and economic impact in order to assess the environmental and socio-economic effects of underutilized crops cultivation. This could lead to designing future policies that support underutilized crop cultivation and consumption.

Funder

EU H2020 BIOVALUE

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Geography, Planning and Development,Building and Construction

Reference93 articles.

1. FAO (2022, November 20). The Future of Food and Agriculture—Alternative Pathways to 2050. Summary Version. Available online: https://www.fao.org/3/CA1553EN/ca1553en.pdf.

2. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2015). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis, Island Press.

3. Ecosystem services and agriculture: Tradeoffs and synergies;Power;Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci.,2010

4. Distilling the role of ecosystem services in the Sustainable Development Goals;Wood;Ecosyst. Serv.,2018

5. United Nations (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development A/RES/70/1, United Nations.

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