Leveraging Underutilized Crops to Combat Climate Change

Strategic Insights -

A new study from North-West University in Mafikeng, South Africa, aims to integrate underutilized crops (UCs) into the food system to address climate change impacts and food-water insecurity. Research suggests that UCs have immense potential to mitigate food shortages, yet their role remains largely unexplored in mainstream agricultural and food security strategies. Financial support for this research came from North-West University.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study used a multidisciplinary approach, including social psychology, resource-based theory, and a new ecological paradigm, to investigate factors influencing UCs adoption and their potential contribution to water and food insecurity in South Africa.
  • The research found that UCs cultivation was driven by awareness, access to extension advisory services, and climate information.
  • Households that integrated UCs into their farming systems experienced higher Water Poverty Index (WPI) scores, reflecting improved water availability and conservation.
  • UCs also enhanced food insecurity by diversifying diets, stabilizing food access, and reducing seasonal hunger, with households in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North-West provinces seeing a significant rise in WPI and Household Food Insecurity Access Score (HFIAS) compared to those who did not adopt UCs.
  • The study highlighted the potential of UCs as climate-resilient crops that mitigate water scarcity and food insecurity, making them a viable strategy for enhancing rural livelihoods amid climate change.

Specifically, the research found that households in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North-West provinces who adopted UCs saw:

  • 25.18% (21%) rise in WPI in Limpopo
  • 31.03% (26%) rise in WPI in Mpumalanga
  • 28.77% (24%) rise in WPI in North-West

Additionally, UCs adoption resulted in lower Household Food Insecurity Access Scores (HFIAS):

  • 25.18% (21%) reduction in HFIAS in Limpopo
  • 31.03% (26%) reduction in HFIAS in Mpumalanga
  • 28.77% (24%) reduction in HFIAS in North-West

Statistics:

  • 25.18% (21%) rise in WPI in Limpopo
  • 31.03% (26%) rise in WPI in Mpumalanga
  • 28.77% (24%) rise in WPI in North-West
  • 25.18% (21%) reduction in HFIAS in Limpopo
  • 31.03% (26%) reduction in HFIAS in Mpumalanga
  • 28.77% (24%) reduction in HFIAS in North-West

Sources:

  • Leveraging Africa's underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa. Scientific Reports, 2025;15(1):19404.