FUTURE SMART FOOD CROPS IN NEPAL: A NECESSITY FOR FUTURE FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) are major source of food and nutrition in rural areas of Nepal. These crops play an important role in food, nutrition as well as economic security of poor people who have limited access to major food crops. Majority of NUS are considered as Future Smart Food (FSF) crops. The FSF crops were referred as poor people’s crops, third order crops and marginal crops and attracted very little attention in agriculture research and development in past years. Nowadays with increasing awareness in the importance of local commodities, many formerly neglected crops have now become globally significant and got space as a Future Smart Food crops because of their multidimensional uses and importance. Tartary buckwheat, proso millet, foxtail millet, naked barley, sorghum, grasspea, amaranthus, fababean and ricebean, taro, yam, drumstick, wood apple, indian gooseberry, linseed and nepali butter tree are FSF crops found in Nepal. This paper highlighted the some of FSF crops found in Nepal along with their nutritional importance. The works on conservation, research and promotion of FSF species lead to exploration of new staple crops, motivate people to consume them in a sustainable manner and reduce the malnutrition.

Keywords

• agrobiodiversity
• neglected crops
• future smart food (fsf) crops
• nutrition value