Developing a Roadmap for Improving Neglected and Underutilized Crops: A Case Study of South Africa

Abstract

Reports of neglected and underutilized crops' (NUS) potential remain mostly anecdotal with limited and often incoherent research available to support them. This has been attributed to lack of clear research goals, limited funding directed at NUS and journal apathy toward publishing work on NUS. The latter points also explain the lack of interest from emerging and established researchers. Additionally, the NUS community's inability to articulate a roadmap for NUS' promotion may have unintentionally contributed to this. The current study is a sequel to an initial study that assessed the status of NUS in South Africa. The objective of this follow-up study was then to (i) identify priority NUS, and (ii) articulate a strategy and actionable recommendations for promoting NUS in South Africa. The study identified 13 priority NUS, categorized into cereals, legumes, root, and tuber crops and leafy vegetables based on drought and heat stress tolerance and nutritional value. It is recommended that the available limited resources should be targeted on improving these priority NUS as they offer the best prospects for success. Focus should be on developing value chains for the priority NUS. This should be underpinned by science to provide evidence-based outcomes. This would assist to attract more funding for NUS research, development and innovation in South Africa. It is envisaged that through this roadmap, NUS could be transformed from the peripheries into mainstream agriculture. This study provides a template for developing a roadmap for promoting NUS that could be transposed and replicated among the 14 other southern African states.

Keywords: champions; development; potential; utilization; value chain.

Figure 1

A schematic illustration for research, development and innovation (RDI) strategy for promoting underutilized crops in South Africa. Briefly, the framework promotes continuous priority setting, adaptive management and knowledge management as drivers of RDI along the value chain. The central role of champions in feeding into this RDI and taking outputs forward into human capacity development, policy, and market development is also highlighted.

Figure 2

The current innovation cycle for the Water Research Commission (WRC). The WRC's innovation cycle provides an example of adaptive research similar to the one proposed in the current roadmap for promoting neglected and underutilized crops in South Africa. (Source: 12).

Figure 3

An illustration of the processes in priority setting for the research, development and innovation roadmap for neglected and underutilized crops in South Africa. The process starts with a situation analyses, which then leads to establishing the context and developing appropriate methodologies. This is followed by setting the priorities and developing a plan for implementation, monitoring and evaluation.