Knowledge Tree
underutilized edible plant species
Also known as: underutilized edible species
Facts (14)
Sources
Nutritional potential of underutilized edible plant species in coffee ... link.springer.com Apr 23, 2021 14 facts
claimUnderutilized edible plant species, particularly fruits produced during the dry season from January to April, can contribute to bridging food shortages and improving the overall quality of household diets.
claimThe analyzed underutilized plant species show higher protein, mineral, and vitamin contents compared to commonly consumed species.
claimUnderutilized species are often found in non-agricultural land uses like forests and are under pressure from habitat deterioration caused by agricultural expansion, according to Senbeta et al. (2010).
procedureThe nutritional potential of underutilized plant species was compared against commonly cultivated crops using calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and calorific value as proxies.
claimUnderutilized edible plant species are often excluded from official economic statistics, despite their contribution to the global food basket, according to Bharuch and Pretty (2010).
claimThe effective use of underutilized edible species requires additional research and development in harvesting, postharvest processing, storage, preparation, bioavailability, and marketing to improve food safety, quality, and sustainability.
referenceUnderutilized plant species are defined as those whose cultivation has been neglected due to constraints such as requirements for traditional management, suitability to specific environments, laborious processing, poor grading and packaging, unfamiliar taste, unknown nutritional properties, or social taboos (Padulosi et al. 2013; Cernansky 2015).
claimThe use of underutilized edible plant species in Ethiopia faces a negative social connotation, which is linked to the homogenization of eating habits, a lack of information regarding their nutritional value, and limited knowledge about their production and post-production, as noted by Fentahun and Hager (2009) and Balemie and Kebebew (2006).
referenceFrison E. and Padulosi S. authored 'The Role of Underutilized Plant Species in the 21st Century', published by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research in 1999, which discusses the importance of underutilized plant species.
referenceThe article 'Nutritional potential of underutilized edible plant species in coffee agroforestry systems of Yayu, southwestern Ethiopia' was authored by H.S. Aragaw, D. Nohr, and D. Callo-Concha and published in the journal Agroforestry Systems, volume 95, pages 1047–1059, in 2021.
procedureThe study on underutilized edible plants in southwestern Ethiopia utilized a combination of household surveys, expert interviews, botanical characterization, and biochemical laboratory analyses.
claimThe article 'Nutritional potential of underutilized edible plant species in coffee agroforestry systems of Yayu, southwestern Ethiopia' is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
claimUnderutilized species support diet diversification and address seasonal food and nutritional gaps through a practice known as the "hidden harvest" (Pol 2002; Power et al. 2015).
claimThe authors of the article 'Nutritional potential of underutilized edible plant species in coffee agroforestry systems of Yayu, southwestern Ethiopia' have declared no conflict of interest.