ABSTRACT
Several research initiatives have promoted the revival of ‘under-utilized’ or ‘orphan’ crops, discursively portrayed as benign, pro-poor, adapted to marginal conditions, nutritious and modest in input requirements and strengthening agricultural sustainability. This paper presents the case of the under-utilized crop ricebean (Vigna umbellata), based on experience from the project FOSRIN (Food Security through Ricebean Research in India and Nepal). The crop is widely scattered in South Asia, but production is declining. This decrease is explained by obstacles throughout the value chains at a global scale (trade regulations, practice of Intellectual Property Rights-related rules for germplasm exchange) as well as at a local scale. The dis-adoption of the crop by farmers is linked to traits of existing landraces: growth habits, appearance and taste, and pest problems. This dis-adoption presents dilemmas for the biodiversity argument. If ricebean is to regain its position, efforts are needed in marketing and promotion and also in plant breeding and provision of improved seed material. It will require varieties that are able to meet farmers’ desires in terms of growth habits, time to maturity, uniform seeds, good yield, resistance to pests and diseases, as well as able to fetch good market prices through attractive appearance, cooking qualities and organoleptic qualities. This will, inevitably, be at the expense of existing varieties with less competitive features, making the responsibility for conservation an issue for off-farm strategies.
