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Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species

Strategic Action Planof the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is an autonomousinternational scientific organization, supported by the Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IPGRI’s mandate is to advance theconservation and use of genetic diversity for the well-being of present and futuregenerations. IPGRI has its headquarters in Maccarese, near Rome, Italy, withoffices in more than 20 other countries worldwide. The Institute operates throughthree programmes: (1) the Plant Genetic Resources Programme, (2) the CGIARGenetic Resources Support Programme and (3) the International Network for theImprovement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP).

The international status of IPGRI is conferred under an Establishment Agreementwhich, by January 2002, had been signed and ratified by the Governments ofAlgeria, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile,China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy,Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria,Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda and Ukraine.

Citation:IPGRI. 2002. Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species: Strategic Action Plan ofthe International Plant Genetic Resources Institute. International Plant GeneticResources Institute, Rome, Italy.

Cover: Design by Patrizia Tazza; photographs Wilfredo Rojas, PROINPA, Bolivia,and S. Apparao, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, India.

ISBN 92-9043-529-1

IPGRIVia dei Tre Denari 472/a00057 Maccarese Rome, Italy

© International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2002

Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species

Strategic Action Planof the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED PLANT SPECIES2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 4

Executive summary 5

Broadening the species portfolio for food security and development 8

Background 9

A growing awareness of the importance of agrobiodiversity 11

What are neglected and underutilized species? 12

The contributions and potential of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) 13

Securing the genetic resource base of neglected and underutilized species 15

IPGRI’s experience 16

Strategic objectives and elements for IPGRI’s work on neglected and underutilized species 20

Mobilizing resources 26

Conclusions 27

3Strategic Action Plan

NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED PLANT SPECIES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Strategy has been developed by IPGRI through a wideconsultation among experts from IPGRI’s Headquarters and RegionalOffices. IPGRI wishes to express its sincere thanks to all for theirthoughtful contributions. Special recognition is due to StefanoPadulosi, Toby Hodgkin and Pablo Eyzaguirre for leading theproduction of this Strategic Action Plan.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Global food security and economic growth now depend on a declining

number of plant species. This has placed the future supply of food and

rural incomes at risk. To fulfil its global mandate to conserve and use the

world’s plant genetic resources for the development and welfare of present

and future generations IPGRI is committed to promoting greater awareness

of the important part that ‘minor crops’ play in

securing the livelihoods of people around the

world.

Ethnobotanic surveys confirm that hundreds ofsuch crops are still to be found in many countries,representing an enormous wealth of agrobiodiversi-ty that has the potential to contribute to improved

incomes, food security and nutrition. We must broaden the focus ofresearch and development so thatit includes a much wider range ofcrop species. IPGRI is uniquelysuited to this work, thanks to thewide experience it already has ofworking with neglected andunderutilized species. It will focuson four major areas where neg-lected and underutilized speciescan contribute to sustainable agri-culture:

Food security and betternutrition. Many neglected andunderutilized species are nutrition-ally rich and are adapted to low-input agriculture. The use of thesespecies, whether wild, managedor cultivated, can have immediateconsequences on the food secur-ity and well-being of the poor.


Deficiency ofvitamin A affectsmore than 100million childrenless than 5 yearsold and causesone-third ofdeaths in this agegroup. It is themain cause ofblindness inchildren fromdevelopingcountries.

Swaziland: 200 edibleKenya: 800 food species

India: 2500 medicinalChina: 5000 medicinal

Malaysia: 800 fruit trees

North America: 1112 ediblePeru: 168 home gardensSahel: 800 edibleGhana: 2500 usefulMediterranean: 137 vegetables

National agrobiodiversity endowments


Increased incomes for the rural poor. Growing demand fromconsumers in developed and developing countries for diversity andnovelty in foods is creating new market niches for neglected andu n d e rutilized species. These market opportunities can generateadditional income.

Ecosystem stability. Climate change and the degradation of land andwater resources have led to a growing interest in crops and speciesthat are adapted to difficult environments such as poor soil, degradedvegetation, drought and desert margins.

Cultural diversity. The use of plants has long been an intimate part oflocal cultures and traditions. Many neglected and underutilized speciesplay a role in keeping cultural diversity alive.

The primary challenge in conserv i n gand using genetic re s o u rces of neglect-ed and underutilized species is tos e c u re their survival and enviro n m e n t a ladaptation at the same time as pro v i d-ing increased incomes for the poor.IPGRI advocates urgent action to con-s e rve, improve, enhance and deploythese genetic re s o u rces. The key part-ners in this eff o rt will be the local farm-ing communities that have developedand are using these species. IPGRI’sgoal is to strengthen the capacity ofstakeholders to defend and enhancethe biological assets of the rural poor.

To reach this goal IPGRI has set outthree main objectives:

Develop priority-setting approaches and help stakeholders toestablish priorities for research, development and conservation actionson neglected and underutilized species.

Enhance the conservation and use of plant genetic resources ofneglected and underutilized species through complementaryapproaches to genetic resources from production to consumption.

S t rengthen the eff o rt s of other actors working on thedocumentation, evaluation, improvement, processing and marketing ofneglected and underutilized species.

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Vitamin A isfound in highconcentrations inmany neglectedand underutilizedspecies such asthese fruits.

These objectives will be achieved by: gathering and sharingi n f o rmation; priority-setting; promoting production and use;maintaining diversity; marketing; strengthening partnerships andcapacities; developing effective policies for NUS; and improving publicawareness.

This strategy is a guide for IPGRI and its partners in what is a verychallenging and relatively new field of research. It will be revised andimproved as the work progresses and more light is shed on how bestto tackle the conservation and use of neglected and underutilizedspecies. IPGRI is confident that as the work proceeds what seems anambitious task today will be attainable tomorrow.



BROADENING THE SPECIES PORTFOLIO FOR FOODSECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT

The declining number of species upon which global food security and

economic growth depend has placed the future supply of food and rural

incomes at risk. The shrinking portfolio of species and varieties used in

agriculture reduces the ability of farmers to adapt to ecosystem changes,

new environments, needs and opportunities.

Agricultural development and food security depend, in part, on our abil-ity to broaden the range of agricultural and fore s t ry species in an eff e c-tive and sustainable way. This means finding ways to protect andenhance locally important species so that they can be deployed morewidely in agriculture and environmental management. It means findingways to expand the use of localc rops in order to tap the hiddenpotential contained in these geneticre s o u rces. Current trends of globale n v i ronmental and socioeconomicchanges enjoin us to act nowbecause, as crop populations andknowledge of their uses and traitsd i s a p p e a r, the continuing neglectand under-use of many valuableagricultural species is eroding theirgenetic base.

I P G R I ’s global mandate to con-serve and use the world’s plantgenetic resources for the develop-ment and welfare of present and future generations entails a commit-ment to promote greater awareness of the role that ‘minor crops’ playin securing the livelihoods of people around the world. IPGRI’s scientif-ic capacity, partnerships and modus operandi can contribute to thecreation of new opportunities to rescue the genetic resource base ofmany crops that have been neglected or little used in development andto maximize their contribution to global food security and the welfare ofthe poor. This Strategic Action Plan outlines the challenging tasksrequired to address these goals as a guide for IPGRI and its partners inthe coming years.

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A healthy dietdepends on adiversity of foodsrich in vitaminsand minerals.NUS (such asthese leafyvegetables) areuntapped sourcesof importantmicronutrients.

BACKGROUND

During their history human beings have used some 40 000 to 100 000plant species for food, fibre, forage, fuel, crafts, industrial, cultural andmedicinal purposes. At least 7000 cultivated species are still in use

today around the world. However, over the past500 years, with increased contacts between dis-parate human populations and the developmentof a global trading system, 30 or so crop specieshave become the basis of most of the world’sa g r i c u l t u re. The focus of re s e a rch and cro pimprovement on a few widely used species hashelped meet the food needs of the rapidly grow-ing human population, but it has narrowed dra-matically the number of species upon which

global food security and agricultural incomes depend. Withmore than half of humanity’s needs for energy and proteinbeing met by only three crops—maize, wheat and rice—andwith the increasing speed and intensity of social and environ-mental change, humankind is vulnerable. We need urgentaction to promote a more diverse portfolio of species used inagriculture.

The impact of the narrowing species base of global foodsecurity is likely to be felt most by the rural poor, particularlyin marginal areas where people are faced with a restricted setof livelihood options. Many neglected and underu t i l i z e dspecies occupy important niches, adapted to the risky and

fragile conditions of rural communities. They have a comparativeadvantage in marginal lands where they have been selected towithstand stress and to contribute to sustainable production withminimal inputs. They also contribute to the diversity and the stability ofagro-ecosystems. These species also often have a strategic role infragile ecosystems, such as those found in arid and semi-arid lands, inmountains, steppes and tropical forests. To address the needs of theseresources we must broaden the focus of research and development sothat it includes a much wider range of crop species, with the ultimateobjective of increasing their sustainable productivity.

Ethnobotanic surveys confirm that hundreds of such species are still tobe found in many countries, representing an enormous wealth ofagrobiodiversity that has the potential to contribute to improvedincomes, food security and nutrition. However, these locally importantspecies are frequently neglected by science. Lack of attention fromresearch and development has meant that their potential value to


Strawberry tree(Arbutus unedo)displayed at alocal market inItaly and leafyvegetablesharvested at ahome garden inKenya: examplesof the vastbiodiversitypresent inneglected andunderutilizedspecies, currentlypoorly addressedby research andconservation.


human well-being and incomes is underexploited. This neglect canalso lead to the genetic erosion of their diversity and usefulness, furtherrestricting development options for the rural poor. Research to increasethe value of these species and to make them more widely availablewould broaden the agricultural re s o u rce base and increase thelivelihood options for rural communities. Many of the species thatresearch and development have ignored are rich in cultural value. Localcommunities consider them essential elements not only in their diet butalso in their food culture and rituals. The link between cultural valuesand plant resources can be important in empowering communities toconserve and develop their biological and cultural assets.

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A GROWING AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OFAGROBIODIVERSITY

The establishment in the 1970s of a global system for the conservation of

plant genetic resources occurred partly in response to the spread of high-

yielding varieties, which were displacing many of the locally adapted

traditional cultivars and wild relatives. Nonetheless, this effort focused on

crops of greatest economic importance.

More recently, increasing awareness of the value of biodiversity andplant genetic resources to the future of agriculture in the face ofg rowing environmental and socioeconomic changes has focusedattention on the fact that the world is conserving only a small fractionof the rich agrobiodiversity on which people rely.

This awareness was translated into a global commitment to theconservation and increased use of neglected and under-used speciesin the FAO Global Plan of Action for the conservation and SustainableUtilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (seeActivity 12: ‘Promoting development and commercialization ofunderutilized crops and species’). In 1999, at an international workshopheld in Chennai, India, the Consultative Group on Intern a t i o n a lAgricultural Research (CGIAR) also recognized the contribution thatneglected and underutilized species make to food security, ruralincomes and combating povert y. Development agencies too areincreasingly supportive of initiatives on neglected and underutilizedspecies and have funded collaborative work with IPGRI (e.g.Department of Development Cooperation, Italian Ministry of ForeignAffairs, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) of theFederal Ministry of Economic Cooperation (BMZ)). Curre n tcollaboration with IPGRI in this area includes BMZ’s support for aGlobal Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species, the IFAD-supportedglobal project on neglected and underutilized species, which focuseson nutrition and income generation, the Dutch-supported project onleafy vegetables in sub-Saharan Africa, the Asian DevelopmentBank–supported project on tropical fruit trees in South East Asia andsupport from the Centre de Coopération Internationale en RechercheAgronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), France, for work todocument and characterize American native fruit species.



WHAT ARE NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZEDSPECIES?

Neglected and underutilized species are often considered ‘minor crops’

because they are less important than staple crops and agricultural

commodities in terms of global production and market value. However,

from the standpoint of the rural poor who

depend on many of these species for their

food security, nutrition and incomes, they

are hardly minor.

Given IPGRI’s focus on development we preferto say that these species are neglected by sci-ence and development; some therefore callthem ‘orphan crops’. They may also be under-utilized in terms of their potential to contributeto the incomes and well-being of the poor andto global food security in general.

Neglected crops are those grown primarily in their centres of origin bytraditional farmers, where they are still important for the subsistence oflocal communities. Some species may be widely distributed around theworld but tend to occupy special niches in the local ecology and inlocal production and consumption systems. While these cro p scontinue to be maintained by sociocultural preferences and the waysthey are used, they remain inadequately documented and neglected byformal research and conservation.

Underutilized crops were once grown more widely or intensively butare falling into disuse for a variety of agronomic, genetic, economic andcultural reasons. Farmers and consumers are using these crops lessbecause they are in some way not competitive with other species in thesame agricultural environment. The decline of these crops may erodethe genetic base and prevent distinctive and valuable traits being usedin crop adaptation and improvement.

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• Of local importance in consumption and productionsystems

• Highly adapted to agro-ecological niches/marginalareas

• Receive scarce attention by national agriculturaland biodiversity conservation policies, researchand development

• Represented by ecotypes/landraces

• Cultivated and utilized relying on indigenousknowledge

• Scarcely represented in ex situ collections

Common featuresof neglected andunderutilizedspecies.

THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND POTENTIAL OFNEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED SPECIES (NUS)

We focus on four major areas where NUS can make significantcontributions to sustainable agriculture:

Food security and better nutrition. Many neglected and under-utilized species are nutritionally rich and are adapted to low-input agri-culture. The erosion of these species, whether wild, managed or culti-

vated, can have immediate consequences on thefood security and well-being of the poor. Theirenhanced use can bring about better nutrition.For example, many underutilized fruits and veg-etables contain more vitamin C and pro-vitamin Athan widely available commercial species andvarieties. Neglected grains such as quinoa(Chenopodium quinoa) or fonio (Digitaria exilis),have better protein quality than most major cere-

als. The bambara groundnut (Vigna subterr a n e a), fro mAfrica, is rich in protein (24%), with higher levels of theessential amino acid methionine than most other grainlegumes. All regions and food cultures have examples ofnutritionally rich and culturally valued species that sufferneglect and may be falling into disuse. Focusing attention onneglected and underutilized species is an effective way tohelp maintain a diverse and healthy diet and to combatmicronutrient deficiencies, the so-called ‘hidden hunger’,and other dietary deficiencies particularly among the ruralpoor and the more vulnerable social groups in developingcountries.

Increased incomes for the rural poor. The growing demandfrom consumers in developed and developing countries for diversityand novelty in foods is creating new market niches for neglected andu n d e rutilized species. These market opportunities can generateadditional income for poor farmers in less-favoured environmentswhere these crops have comparative advantages over major staples orcommercial crops. In addition, the ability of modern technologies totransform crops and other plants into diverse products and to extendtheir shelf-life has created new opportunities to develop new uses andthus to market these species and their products. For example,breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), a multipurpose tree popular across thePacific and Caribbean regions, is a starchy food species whose manyfood, fodder and non-food uses as timber, traditional medicine andinsect repellent, have scarcely been tapped.


The majority ofthe world’spopulation is toopoor to affordsynthetic drugsto treat theirillnesses.Sustainableconservation anduse of medicinalplants is astrategic elementof IPGRI’sAgenda on NUS.

Innovative andsimpletechnologies, likethis used in Perufor processingChenopodiumquinoa (quinoa),help to reducearduous work.Such inexpensivetools providefarmers and localcommunitiesopportunities toadd value to NUSproducts andcontribute toraising incomes.


Ecosystem stability. Climate change and the degradation of land andwater resources have led to a growing interest in crops and speciesthat are adapted to difficult environments such as desert margins,those with poor soil or degraded vegetation, or subject to drought.Lathyrus, quinoa, fonio, bambara groundnut and Andean roots andtubers are examples of neglected or underutilized species that areadapted to difficult conditions. NUS can also occupy specializedmicro-environments within farming systems. Examples include severalspecies of squash and gourd, edible aroids such as taro and tannia,and many herbs. Because they can tolerate stresses and occupyspecialized niches, NUS often increase the overall productivity andstability of agro-ecosystems. A good example is the sago palm(Metroxylon sagu). This is found across South East Asia and Oceaniaand has been described as humankind’soldest food plant. Its advocates praise itas an economically acceptable plant thatis environmentally sustainable anduniquely versatile.

Cultural diversity. The use of plantshas long been an intimate part of localcultures and traditions. Many neglectedand underutilized species play a role inkeeping alive cultural diversity associat-ed with food habits, health practices,religious rituals and social exchanges.The vast diversity of neglected andunderutilized food crops should not be seen solely as a source of nutri-tion. Their unique array of diversity in taste, colour, texture, modes ofpreparation and so on represents a rich component of the culturalfood-based social language and an important instrument in the organ-ization and maintenance of local systems of communication. Manyneglected and underutilized species have their greatest cultural valueat the local level, which makes greater attention to NUS an importantway of supporting cultural diversity in a world of increasing globaliza-tion. Food culture—which encompasses taste preferences, cooking,presentation and ritual uses—is an integral part of IPGRI’s work tomaintain and promote NUS, making our lives more interesting andenjoyable.

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Many neglectedand underutilizedspecies play arole in keepingalive culturaldiversityassociated withfood habits suchas this traditionalSpanish festivalorganized tocelebrate thehulled wheatharvest.

SECURING THE GENETIC RESOURCE BASE OF NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED SPECIES

A secure genetic re s o u rce base of neglected and underutilized species,

p a rticularly in developing countries, is crucial to maintain the ‘safety net’ of

options for diversified food and natural products.

One threat to this safety net is the rapid globalization of agriculturaltrade, whereby a few agricultural commodities are consolidating theirmarket positions and further narrowing the base of crop genetic

re s o u rces. Conversely, these same trends couldpresent opportunities for producers in developingcountries to market NUS products and create news o u rces of income. Neglected and underu t i l i z e dspecies can become valuable commodities for thepoor, who have used them to survive for centuries assubsistence crops in difficult and low-inputproduction environments. The primary challenge inconserving and using NUS genetic resources is to

fulfil the dual role of securing their survival and environmentaladaptation while providing increased incomes for the poor.

The successful improvement of major crops has depended to asignificant extent on the use of collected and conserved geneticd i v e r s i t y. To d a y, more than six million accessions of plantgenetic re s o u rces for food and agriculture are stored in aro u n d1500 germplasm collections around the world. Although thenumber of these ex situ accessions is impre s s i v e ,a p p roximately 80% are of major crops and their close wildrelatives; only 20% are of neglected and underutilized species,

which are re p resented on average by just 8.2 accessions per species.Thousands of species, which make up a substantial part of the world’splant genetic re s o u rces for food and agriculture, have still to becollected, characterized, evaluated and conserved for use. In order tomake full use of the environmental and income potential of neglected andu n d e rutilized species IPGRI advocates urgent action to conserv e ,i m p rove, enhance and deploy NUS genetic re s o u rces. The key part n e r sin this eff o rt will be the local farming communities that have developedand are using NUS in their production systems and cultural practices.F o rmal plant genetic re s o u rces institutions and many others thatp romote their increased use will contribute complementary actions,including both ex situ and in situ c o n s e rvation and use.


On-farmconservationplays a criticalrole in thesafeguarding ofgenetic diversityand knowledge ofNUS. This oldfarmer fromUzbekistan hasmaintainedhundreds ofsamples ofvegetables andcereals in hisseed store. IPGRIseeks to supportsuch farmers.

Conservation ofNUS has largelybeen neglectedso far. Ex situmaterial (seeds,field or in vitrocollections) isvery limited.


IPGRI’S EXPERIENCE

IPGRI has promoted, coordinated and carried out several activities at

national and international levels for the improved conservation and use of

neglected and underutilized species.

Projects implemented in partnership with national programmes all overthe world have involved more than 50 species thus far, covering a widerange of crops, from fruit trees to roots and tubers to multipurpose treespecies and medicinal and aromaticplants. The following is a summary ofthis research work, grouped by mainthemes.

Participatory research. IPGRI hastaken part in various activities, includ-ing socioeconomic and ethnobotani-cal research to document and supportthe role of local cultures and institu-tions that use NUS. Participants payspecial attention to defending thecommunity knowledge-base on useand local food cultures, forging links to nutrition programmes andstrengthening links among primary stakeholders from production toconsumption. One way to develop the potential of NUS is through new,diversity-based crop improvement, including participatory plant-breed-ing approaches in which IPGRI has experience through its work withon-farm conservation.

Assessing diversity. IPGRI is contributing to greater understandingof the genetic diversity within neglected and underutilized species,including its value and current status. This includes support forstudies of ecogeographical distribution and genetic erosion. IPGRIworks to develop methodologies that can be easily and widelyapplied to assess risks of genetic erosion as well as methods todocument the potential value of genetic diversity in NUS thro u g hbetter characterization and evaluation, including the use of DNAmarker technologies.

Complementary conservation and use. Despite the pressures,genetic resources of neglected and underutilized species are still beingmaintained in rural communities around the world, and the role of local

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Participatoryselection of NUSverieties isimplemented withthe closeparticipation ofwomen—tirelesscustodians ofgenetic diversityand associatedindigenousknowledge.

communities in conservation will remain crucial. IPGRI’s activitiesrange from strengthening the contribution of home gardens toconservation by promoting greater deployment of these species infarming systems and in post-harvest processing and marketing, thussupporting conservation through use. IPGRI is using geographicalinformation systems to locate new sites for the cultivation of NUS andalso works to ensure the effective maintenance and use of NUSaccessions that have been collected and conserved in ex situ genebanks. This is an essential tool to support crop improvement and tosafeguard crucial genetic traits that may not currently find a place inexisting systems of production and consumption.

Dissemination of information. IPGRI has produced more than 80publications on NUS. These include 24 monographs that have beenrecognized as an important re s o u rce for the global community.P roduced with the support of BMZ/GTZ in Germ a n y, thesemonographs provide information about the taxonomy, biology, cropimprovement and conservation needs of key species, along with listsof scientists working in the field (see www.ipgri.cgiar.org/nus).

Fostering synergy across levels: linking local and globalc o m m u n i t i e s . IPGRI hosts and supports the Germ a n - f u n d e dGlobal Facilitating Unit for Underutilized Species to mobilize, facilitateand, where requested, to coordinate work undertaken by partners inregional or crop networks, development agencies, scientific organiza-tions, universities and other stakeholders worldwide. This unit address-es the identification, assessment, improvement, development, sustain-able use and marketing of thesespecies and the commoditiesderived from them, to enhancetheir contribution to sustainabledevelopment. It encourages thedevelopment of common strate-gies, tools, approaches and priori-ty-setting that can be applied todifferent species and to differentcontexts and situations. Given thefact that research and develop-ment capacity is weak or nonexist-ent for many NUS, networkingamong countries that share aninterest in a priority species will bean important means to buildcapacity regionally and globally.


In situ

nature reserves

managed areas

introduction to reserves

on-farm management (farmer exchanges; new introductions)

on-farm conservation (community genebanks)

field genebanks

seed genebanks (short-term; long-term)

in vitro genebanks (slow growth; cryopreservation)

pollen banks

DNA libraries

Ex situ

Complementarityin conservationefforts betweenex situ and in situapproaches isessential toensure thesustainablemaintenance ofplant geneticresources for thebenefit of today’sand tomorrow’sgenerations.


Legal and policy frameworks and public awareness. IPGRIis active in support of global plans, treaties and fora that recognizeneglected and underutilized species as important elements in nationaland global policies for agriculture, nutrition, health, environment anddevelopment. Key opportunities for policy and public awareness arethe International Treaty on PGRFA and the Global Plan of Action forPGRFA under FAO, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and themany regional and national bodies that establish policies and regulateaccess to, use of and rights in NUS genetic resources.

Partners in a global effort. Many actors work to promote the useof neglected and underutilized species. These include UN agenciessuch as FAO and conventions (e.g. CBD) with global mandates foragriculture, biodiversity and sustainable development. They can beregional organizations concerned with the distinctive, economicallyand culturally important species of a region. They also includeinstitutions in developed countriesworking on so-called ‘new crops’, or‘orphan crops’ and many NGOs andother groups.

Global agencies sponsor severalregional networks on NUS, e.g. FAO:Programme on the Promotion andDevelopment of Non-Wood Fore s tProducts, the Underutilized TropicalFruits in Asia Networks (UTFANET),and the FAO/ICUC Southern and Eastern Africa Network onU n d e rutilized crops (SEANUC). The International Atomic Energ yAgency (FAO/IAEA) is coordinating a project to improve underutilizedspecies for low-income countries using irradiation technologies. ICUC,the International Centre for Underutilized Crops (UK), works to increasethe use of underutilized crops for food, medicine, industrial productsand for environmental quality through direct promotion andimprovement. CIHEAM, the Centre International de Hautes EtudesA g ronomique Méditerranéennes, works through the Network onIdentification, Conservation and Use of Wild Plants in theM e d i t e rranean Region (MEDUSA) and the Working Group onU n d e rutilized Fruit Crops. The CGIAR Future Harvest Centre s ,including IPGRI, carry out research to address underutilized andneglected species that may not be among their main mandated crops(e.g. IITA conserves bambara groundnut genetic resources and CIPworks on Andean roots and tubers). GFAR supports the GlobalFacilitation Unit for Underutilized Species.

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Gatheringsamples of wildsage (Salviaofficinalis) inLebanon.

Several international plant genetic re s o u rces networks are alsoengaged in these efforts including TROPIGEN (the Tropical RegionalGenetic Resources Network); REMERFI (the Mesoamerican PlantGenetic Resources Network); the PROSEA Foundation and morerecently the PROTA Foundation (which cover plant genetic resources ofSouth-East Asia and Africa, respectively); BAMNET (the BambaraInternational Network); ECP/GR (European Cooperative Programme forCrop Genetic Resources Networks); CACTCN-PGR (the Central Asiaand Trans-Caucasus Network on Plant Genetic Resources); WANANET(the West Asia and North Africa Network for Plant Genetic Resources);AARINENA (Association of Agricultural Research Institutes in the NearEast and North Africa); GRENEWECA (Genetic Resources Network forWest and Central Africa); the Lathyrus Genetic Resources Network(LGRN) and the Taro Genetic Resources Network (TaroGen).

Institutions working in developed countries include the Center for NewCrops and Plant Products of Purdue University in the USA, whichconvenes an international gathering of experts every 3 years to address‘new’ crops, or NUS. At the local level in many countries in both thedeveloped and developing world there are NGOs, farm e r s ’associations, ecological and biological farming groups, processors,marketers and consumers that have begun to champion theconservation and increased use of NUS.



STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ELEMENTS FORIPGRI’S WORK ON NEGLECTED ANDUNDERUTILIZED SPECIES

IPGRI’s mission is to conserve the world’s plant genetic resources for the

present and future benefit of humanity. This entails a strong commitment

to conserve and promote the use of all species that contribute to human

welfare and that can be used to eliminate poverty and malnutrition.

Given the enormity and urgency of this task, wecan ill afford to ignore these valuable biologicalre s o u rces—neglected and underu t i l i z e dspecies—which are essential assets of poorfarmers around the world. IPGRI’s strategy forneglected and underutilized species is based onthe deployment of plant genetic diversity in agri-culture in order to achieve more equitable andsustainable development. One of IPGRI’s eightstrategic choices, namely ‘Increasing the use ofplant genetic resources’, includes work on bothbroadening the species portfolio within agricul-ture and the genetic diversity within crops and trees in production sys-tems. This work also contributes towards the implementation of theFAO Global Plan of Action priority actions e.g. ‘Promoting underutilizedcrops’, the development of new markets for local varieties, the promo-tion of in situ and on-farm conservation, and public awareness of thevalue of plant genetic resources and their uses. IPGRI’s efforts to safe-guard these resources for the livelihood of rural communities and for-est dwellers around the world are also consistent with the implementa-tion of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The ultimate goal of IPGRI’s strategy on neglected and underutilizedcrops is to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to maintain andenhance the biological assets of the rural poor by enhancing anddeploying a broader range of species adapted to diverse environmentsand providing new opportunities for better nutrition and incomegeneration. To reach this goal IPGRI has set out three main objectives:

Develop priority-setting approaches at the local, national andinternational levels and assist stakeholders to establish priorities forresearch, development and conservation actions on neglected and

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Rocket (Erucasativa) is a typicalNUS vegetablewhose marketpromotion in Italyhas been highlysuccessful inboth domesticand foreignmarkets. Sharingknow-how andexperiences oncultivationpractices, post-harvesttechnologies andc o m m e rc i a l i z a t i o nacross theMediterraneanregion is one ofIPGRI’s goalspursued throughnetworking onthis crop.

underutilized species that increase their contribution to and impact onsustainable agriculture and livelihoods of the rural poor, and broadenthe bases of food security.

Enhance the conservation and use of plant genetic resources ofneglected and underutilized species through complementaryapproaches to genetic resources from production to consumption.

S t rengthen the eff o rt s of other actors working on the documentation,evaluation, improvement, processing and marketing of neglected oru n d e rutilized species.

These objectives will be achieved through work carried out in eightmajor areas as follows:

1. Gathering and sharing information. Information plays a crucial role inenhancing the use of neglected and underutilized species. Often, littleis known about the extent of their cultivation, agronomic requirements,local uses and values, and contribution to local food security and envi-ronmental sustainability. Gathering and sharing information among allstakeholders is essential to promote greater use of NUS. IPGRI has

already made important contribu-tions to documenting informationon NUS and will seek to strengthenits work in this area. IPGRI will pro-vide information on species andalso on options, techniques anda p p roaches to support impro v e dconservation and use of NUS. Atthe national level, ethnobotanic sur-veys of NUS linked to agriculturaland economic development are

important first steps. Documenting and disseminating the work of spe-cialists, including those of sister institutes of the CGIAR, will be sup-ported. IPGRI will pay special attention to the maintenance and docu-mentation of local knowledge systems on the uses and management ofgermplasm of these species. An Internet Web site will be maintained todisseminate inter alia information on IPGRI’s and partners’ activities inthis area, including publications, databases and any other informationrelated to the uses and conservation of neglected and underutilizedspecies. The newly established Global Facilitation Unit forUnderutilized Species, supported by the German Government, willadvance efforts in this area.


Success inpromoting agreater use ofNUS rests in thebroadparticipation ofstakeholders. Thislies at the heart ofIPGRI’s modusoperandi.


2 . P r i o r i t y - s e t t i n g . The large number of species that need work and thevariety of needs and disciplines involved in supporting their conserv a t i o nand use re q u i re the adoption of a stru c t u red approach to the selection ofpriority species and activities so as to make the best use of limitedre s o u rces and achieve the greatest development impact. IPGRI willt h e re f o re identify and work with key stakeholders to identify priorityspecies and actions. For any givenspecies, there will be diff e rent stakehold-ers at various points in the pro d u c t i o n ,p rocessing, marketing and consumption.Working together, using part i c i p a t o ry andg e n d e r-sensitive approaches, thesestakeholders can define priorities andidentify all relevant concerns. The activi-ties and species selected will be thosethat can serve as models for otherspecies of local and regional significancethat are important for the livelihood off a rmers in similar environments. Priority-setting processes and tools that weredeveloped and tested at IPGRI’s conference on NUS in theM e d i t e rranean region held in Aleppo, Syria, in 1998, will be disseminatedand further improved to make them more broadly applicable.

3. Promoting production and use. Neglected and underutilized speciescan be more widely and effectively deployed to address malnutrition,poverty and environmental degradation. They constitute essentialbiological assets of the rural poor and can contribute to improving thewell-being of urban populations. Building on its work with communitieson diversity management on farms and in home gardens, IPGRI willcollaborate with partner institutions on the enhancement and greateruse of neglected and underutilized species. It will support work toassess and realize the nutritional, economic and environmental value ofthe species. Working with communities, IPGRI will identify strengthsand weaknesses within existing production systems. It will work toimprove seed-supply systems and develop methods to ensure thatdesired diversity is maintained in production systems. In collaborationwith farmers, IPGRI will identify and improve agromorphological traitsneeded to enhance the use of NUS in agro-ecosystems and to meetmarket demands. IPGRI will also support studies of the geneticpotential of NUS, crop enhancement work (especially participatoryplant breeding) and work on key bottlenecks such as seed productionand plant multiplication, including the development of micro -propagation techniques. In view of the fact that as crops are improvedand become more commercialized loss of genetic diversity may occur,

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Bridging the gap betweengenetic diversitystudies and socio-economiccontinuumdevelopment isessential for thesuccessfulpromotion ofNUS. IPGRI willwork closely withrelevantinstitutions(including theprivate sector) tolook at ways toenhancemarketing andcommercialization.

IPGRI will take the lead in assessing both the value and the impact ofcrop improvements and market promotion on the distribution, use andmaintenance of NUS genetic diversity.

4 . Maintaining diversity. Little is known of the ecogeographic distributionof many neglected and underutilized species and even less of the extentand distribution of their genetic diversity. Their poor conservation andhigh level of genetic erosion call for coordinated eff o rts to safeguardthese re s o u rces. Surveys, taxonomic identification and analysis of theextent and distribution of genetic diversity, together with work on localand traditional knowledge, remain priorities for many NUS. Tools toassess genetic erosion will have to be developed and applied to facili-tate these processes. From this information, complementary conserv a-tion strategies will need to be developed that give priority to mainten-

ance in production systems (in situ c o n s e rvation), withex situ c o n s e rvation providing back-up systems andmaterial for access by other users. Characterization andevaluation can, in many cases, be carried out in the pro-duction systems with the communities growing andusing NUS. There may also be a need for specific stud-ies on topics such as re p roductive biology, in vitro c o n-s e rvation and ways of eliminating viruses from vegeta-tively propagated species.

5 . M a r k e t i n g . S t rengthened market systems are crucial to the pro m o t i o nof neglected or underutilized species. Better commerc i a l i z a t i o ntranslates into greater opportunities for income generation by the poorf a rmers who cultivate these species. The cultural value of NUS is also ani m p o rtant element that can support the markets for these species. IPGRIwill seek strategic alliances with agencies or organizations that haveexperience in marketing, processing and product development ofneglected species. Eff o rts will be directed at: (i) identifying opport u n i t i e sto add value through improved preparation or processing methods andthe development of low cost technologies; (ii) marketing activitiesincluding user and market-niche definition and improving price,distribution and presentation; (iii) creating and identifying opportunities todevelop new products and markets; (iv) identifying ways to ensure thatthe nutritional contributions of selected NUS are recognized andintegrated into national nutritional programmes; and (v) developing publica w a reness activities for crops and products at local and national levelsand integrating such work in development-related activities, for examplein situ and on-farm conservation and home gard e n s .


Rubypomegranatesfrom Iran.


6 . S t rengthening partnerships and capacities. S a f e g u a rding there s o u rce base of neglected and underutilized species re q u i re sc o n c e rted actions among all stakeholders. Local people and farm e r swill be the most important actors in reversing the decline in use anda rresting the genetic erosion of NUS. However, they will need to bes u p p o rted by others. Building capacities and partnerships among all thestakeholders at national and regional levels in both formal plant geneticre s o u rces institutions and civil society organizations will be a keyelement of IPGRI’s work. Using part i c i p a t o ry approaches, which ensurethat the interests of farmers and communities are adequatelyrecognized, IPGRI will promote close collaboration with NARS, NGOs,CSOs, the private sector and international organizations. IPGRI’sstrategy will be to strengthen existingcollaboration and add value to thoseinitiatives that have already delivere drelevant outputs in this field. IPGRI’scatalytic role will be to focus thes c a t t e red eff o rts and the limitedre s o u rces that are available to addre s spriority actions to develop andc o n s e rve NUS. Strategic partners forIPGRI will be ICUC, FAO and sisterF u t u re Harvest centres whosecollaboration will be coordinated through SGRP and other system-wideinitiatives. IPGRI will work to bring scientists and plant geneticre s o u rces policy-makers into closer partnerships to realize the fullpotential of NUS and will devote particular attention to raising thecapacities of national programmes to work on these species. IPGRI willinclude NUS components in its training programmes and in othercapacity building activities. Transfer of technology and information fro mone region to another in the context of building capacities to use andc o n s e rve NUS will be pursued whenever possible.

7. Developing effective policies for NUS. The further deployment,improvement and use of NUS will require taking account of constraintsand opportunities that arise from the policy environment in manycountries and in the international arena. Better policies and legalframeworks are required to support the research, cultivation andcommercialization of neglected and underutilized species. As thesespecies are developed and exchanged, IPGRI will work to promotepolicies, laws and regulations that return benefits from increased use ofNUS to the communities that have been custodians of both the geneticresources and the associated knowledge. IPGRI will also work insupport of policies that safeguard access to NUS genetic resources byfarmers in regions where they are important to food security and

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Remnants ofindigenous forestsof pomegranatethrive in CentralAsia but arethreatened bygenetic erosion.IPGRI iscommitted tosupporting theconservation ofthese uniquepopulations alongwith the largestpomegranate ex situ fieldcollection (morethan 1700accessions) heldat the Gari GalaResearch Station,Turkmenistan.Such invaluablediversityrepresents amajor resource forfarmers whichmust be passedon to futuregenerations.

incomes. It may well be that policies and procedures developed formajor crops or commodities are not appropriate for NUS, and IPGRIwill use its expertise in policy development to review and addressspecific aspects that are important to the sustainable use of NUS byfarmers and communities.

8. I m p roving public aware n e s s . Raising interest in neglected andunderutilized species is fundamental to creating a more favourableenvironment for their sustained production and use. Policy-makers,research institutions, the private sector and users at large should beaware of the concrete benefits that arise from a broader use of thesespecies and should be encouraged to share efforts towards commonre s e a rch goals. IPGRI’s role in raising public awareness amongpartners has contributed to the greater awareness of, and importancegiven to, research and development of NUS. IPGRI will develop publicawareness materials in a variety of media and for diverse audiences inorder to build interest and support from public and private sectors.National and international seminars and conferences will be used asopportunities to sensitize stakeholders and the public at large to issuess u rrounding neglected and underutilized species. Reversing theneglect and declining use of NUS will also entail work to further thepublic awareness of the value and utility of these species at all levels,beginning in the local media and cultural institutions where thesespecies are still important. Links to global media and public awarenessare also important.



MOBILIZING RESOURCES

IPGRI’s commitment to the improved conservation and use of neglected

and underutilized species will require the institute and its partners to

mobilize significant resources.

There is a growing international recognition ofthe importance of NUS and significantadvances have been made which have led toa noteworthy increase in the resources avail-able for this work. However, new resourceswill be needed, both by IPGRI and by its manypartners, to ensure that international objec-tives can be addressed and that work on indi-vidual species in particular localities can bec a rried out. Major concerns in mobilizingresources must be to ensure that there areclear and identifiable benefits to farmers andconsumers, that real improvements occur inthe information available on NUS, and thatfuture needs for NUS diversity are adequatelysafeguarded.

IPGRI looks forw a rd to working with all stakeholders and theinternational donor community to ensure that the resources are madeavailable for its work on NUS. To achieve this, IPGRI will continue tomaintain its expertise in this area at international and regional levels. Itwill also ensure that it can bring to bear expertise from those workingon important related areas such as ex situ and in situ conservation,socioeconomic aspects of diversity management, and the analysis ofgenetic diversity.

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CONCLUSIONS

This strategy is meant to guide IPGRI and its partners in what is a verychallenging, and in many regards a relatively new, field of research. ThisStrategic Action Plan is based on experience acquired so far and willbe improved as the work progresses and more light is shed on howbest to tackle the conservation and use of neglected and underutilizedspecies. IPGRI is confident that the awareness of the role that thesespecies play in the livelihoods of people around the world will continue

to rise in the years to come and that what may seem anambitious task today will be more attainable tomorrow,thanks to our commitment to moving this agendaforward.


ISBN 92-9043-529-1

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