ABSTRACT
The world is in the middle of a “food paradox”: Although globalization and mobility should enable us to access and consume a diversity of foods from almost anywhere, contemporary human diets worldwide have been reduced from the hundreds of plant-derived foods of early societies to a very small number of plant species. The impacts of this transition are felt globally as prevalence of hunger and undernutrition frequently coincide with steep increases in overweight and obesity. Achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals requires the transformation of global food systems to support a more diversified diet and reintroducing crops that nourished humanity in times past. We must use knowledge on best agronomic practices and take advantage of existing and new technologies to increase crop yields without losing nutrient content, and to add value and create new, more nutritious products. Research supported by the International Development Research Centre of Canada shows that traditional crops can improve food security and nutrition and generate new income for farmers and their families, open new markets and foster novel products even beyond the food sector. The future of underutilized crops is bright, and the world needs them to return to our tables.
