Underutilized plant species and agricultural sustainability in Egypt

Abstract

Global agriculture is under pressure to produce a higher yield of food and feed. There are more than 50,000 edible plants in the world, yet two-thirds of global edible plant species is provided only by wheat, maize, and rice. Current reliance on commercial plant species and crops has inherent nutritional, ecological, and economic risks and is unsustainable in the long term. Wider utilization of underutilized plant species (UPSs) to agricultural systems is a good solution to this problem. Many UPSs are rich in bioactive compounds, vitamins, antioxidants, oils, and protein. UPSs could play an important role in the enhancement of nutrition, health, and income for local Egyptian communities. Also, UPSs are resilient in natural and agricultural conditions, making them a suitable surrogate to the major edible plants. Egypt is one of the most populous countries. Most of Egyptians live near the Nile river, in an area of about 40,000 km2, where the fertile area accounted for ca. 3.3 million ha, while one-quarter of which is reclaimed desert. Most land is cultivated at least twice a year, but salinity and drainage problems limit productivity. These challenges call for the need to sustainable agriculture (SA) in Egypt. Egypt is home to diverse agroecological areas which harbor many UPSs, whose genetic resources hold the potential to address SA and food security. The deterioration of food systems, lack of knowledge about the cultivation use and nutritional value of UPSs, changing food habits, and lack of attention to UPSs in policies are the key reasons for the abandoning of UPSs in Egypt. There is an urgent need to mainstream UPSs into Egyptian national programs and to integrate them into national food systems. This will improve the nutrition security of Egypt, biodiversity, and local economies. Development efforts and funding research on UPS breeding are needed to convert existing local landraces into competitive UPS varieties with commercial potential. This work will discuss important issues concerning SA in Egypt as well as the current and future situation of UPSs in Egypt.