Manger les produits locaux pour manger mieux

Within the EU-funded SUSTLIVES project, this easy to read brochure provides information on the project, project sites, the target neglected and underutilized species being studied in Niger and Burkina Faso as well as information on their importance for nutrition, climate resilience and livelihoods

Neglected and underutilised species (NUS): an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)

Despite the growing attention to the neglected and underutilised species (NUS) as a valid instrument to promote not only sustainable agriculture and food systems but also sustainable development in rural areas, attempts to move from good intentions to effective actions have been limited. This is due, among others, to a gap in knowledge about the myriads of existing NUS and their potential. In this context, the present paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of crop NUS. Data for the SWOT analysis were retrieved through a review of the literature carried out in June 2022 on the Web of Science. Strengths relate, inter alia, to adaptability to harsh, marginal conditions, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses (e.g. pests and diseases, drought) and low external input requirements of NUS as well as their high medicinal and nutritional values combined with widespread culinary traditions. Weaknesses regard low productivity as well as difficult access to quality seeds, inputs, technologies and knowledge. Higher demand from consumers as well as increasing attention to sustainability and resilience in the whole agri-food system and agroecology represent opportunities for the promotion of NUS to address challenges such as food and nutrition insecurity and poverty. Climate change, biodiversity loss and genetic erosion, land and agroecosystem degradation, loss of traditional knowledge and heritage, and competition from commercial crops are among the main threats to NUS. The SWOT of NUS outlined in this work should inform evidence-based policies and strategies for the promotion of NUS, especially in developing countries. They should also guide the undertakings and actions of all stakeholders interested in the development of NUS value chains

Strengthening the economic sustainability of community seed banks. A sustainable approach to enhance agrobiodiversity in the production systems in low-income countries

The seed sector is one of the cornerstones in ensuring food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability [Organization for Cooperation Economic Development (OECD), 2021]. Seeds are the most crucial production input, and access to productive seeds ensures resilience and sustainability, especially in traditional production systems of the low- and middle-income countries where agriculture makes the largest share of their economies and occupations. Agricultural research is paramount to ensure that seeds match farmers’ needs and increase productivity. For a long time, countries relied on their public sector for seed science research and seed supply as an essential public good (Srinivasan, 2005). Sweeping regulations in seeds markets enabled the private sector to eventually obtain higher participation in agricultural research. Time and costs for developing new varieties laid the ground for intellectual property rights (IPR) acting as a strong incentive for private investment. This explains the unprecedented growth of the industry, enabling greater innovation (Srinivasan, 2003; UPOV, 2009). The seed sector has been recently characterized by high levels of market concentration. Increasingly sophisticated technologies used in plant breeding require substantial investments in research, development, and seed production. Consequently, strategic mergers and acquisitions in the sector have enabled companies to leverage economies of scale and become vertically-integrated (Srinivasan, 2003; Deconinck, 2020). Today, the main seed producers are also producers of herbicides, fertilizers, and other biotech products - such as Monsanto, Syngenta, and Corteva who control over 50% of the global seed market (Frison, 2016). The fundamental differences between private and public research have shaped the evolution dynamics of the sector. Private companies tend to focus on innovations for big markets, both in terms of geographical coverage and crops of interest. Indeed, while the innovation rate has increased, it has been concentrated on a few crops. Innovation has adapted crops to specific production and consumption systems (Brooks and Loevinsohn, 2011; Gaffney et al., 2019). Still, it has often failed to respond to the needs of farmers and consumers in the traditional production systems of low-income countries (e.g., neglected and underutilized crops and farmers varieties)—that typically have fewer resources to make up for this innovation gap through public investments and research (Niggli et al., 2017; Macours, 2019)

Orphan crops and sustainability transitions in agri-food systems: Towards a multidimensional and multilevel transition framework

Neglected and underutilized species (NUS i.e. orphan crops) are widely claimed to contribute to sustainable development. However, the relationship between NUS and sustainable agri-food systems is still unclear. Therefore, this paper analyses the role of NUS in the transition towards sustainable and resilient agri-food systems and identifies actions needed and levers of change. It draws upon a systematic review of 35 articles identified through a search performed in July 2022 on the Web of Science. The analysis of the literature was conducted following the Multi-Level Perspective on socio-technical transitions (MLP) and its three elements viz. niches, sociotechnical regime and sociotechnical landscape. The review suggests that the transition dynamics and success depend not only on the features of the niche NUS (cf. strengths and weaknesses), regime (cf. barriers to change and competitiveness of major crops with NUS) and landscape (cf. macro-trends and policies) but also on the interactions among them. The levers of change lie in the areas of policy, market and finance, technology, culture, and science and innovation. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms leading to the mainstreaming of NUS into agri-food systems as well as the dynamics of interaction between niche NUS and commercial, staple crops

Sustainability of neglected and underutilised species (NUS): Towards an assessment matrix for crop species.

Neglected and underutilised species (NUS) are widely claimed to contribute to sustainability and sustainable development. Verifying such a claim implies the use of a scientifically sound assessment tool. In this context, the present article aims to suggest a matrix for the assessment of the environmental, economic and social sustainability of NUS. In particular, the paper provides a set of indicators and metrics to assess the different sustainability dimensions. It draws upon a search carried out on the Web of Science in May 2022 that returned 126 records. Eligible documents underwent two steps: in the first step, indicators, metrics and criteria regarding sustainability were identified; in the second step, expert knowledge was used to systematise the identified indicators and metrics according to the three sustainability dimensions and group them into themes. Agronomic aspects were included in the environmental dimension while nutrition, health and cultural aspects were included in the social dimension. One of the main results of the analysis is that there is a dearth of quality scholarly documents dealing with the assessment of NUS sustainability. Furthermore, economic and social indicators and metrics are hard to find. The operationalisation of the proposed indicators requires their contextualisation taking into consideration the conditions in each country/territory as well as the NUS concerned. A further important step to operationalise the proposed matrix implies the identification of a sustainability threshold and an assessment scale for each indicator. Apart from sustainability assessment, the proposed assessment matrix can allow selecting the NUS that have the highest potential and whose promotion can contribute to the sustainable development of the concerned countries and territories

COMPETITIVENESS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE FIRMS' PARTICIPATION AND TRADE CONCERNS

La tesi analizza la competitività nel commercio internazionale con un approccio multidimensionale. Il lavoro verte su tre livelli: a) una analisi di indicatori di produttività in aziende agroalimentari che operano con maggiore successo nel mercato estero; b) il ruolo delle agenzie di promozione a supporto delle aziende esportatrici; c) le barriere non tariffarie e le vertenze a livello dell’organizzazione mondiale del commercio (WTO) in materia sanitaria e fitosanitaria. Il lavoro condotto nelle tre prospettive microeconomica, istituzionale e internazionale, sottolinea il legame del commercio estero quale fattore di miglioramento della competitività delle aziende, evidenzia inoltre il ruolo importante delle istituzioni ed agenzie di supporto che accompagnano le aziende nel processo di internazionalizzazione, infine viene messo in luce la modifica dei rapporti internazionali per quanto attiene le barriere non tariffarie e le vertenze in campo sanitario e fitosanitario fra i Paesi aderenti al Wto, evidenziando una riduzione della centralità di Stati Uniti ed Unione Europea.The thesis analyzes the competitiveness in international trade with a multidimensional approach. The work focuses on three levels: a) an analysis of productivity indicators in the agro-food and beverage companies that operate with greater success in the foreign market; b) the role of promotion agencies in support of exporting companies; c) and finally, non-tariff barriers and trade concerns at the level of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in sanitary and phytosanitary matters. The work, conducted in the three perspectives (microeconomic, institutional and international), underlines the link between foreign trade as a factor in improving the competitiveness of companies, also highlights the important role of the institutions and support agencies that accompany companies in the internationalization process, and finally it sheds light on the change in international relations, regarding non-tariff barriers and sanitary and phytosanitary trade concerns between the WTO members, highlighting a reduction in the centrality of the United States and European Union

NUS: le monde gagne à manger local, Niger

Within the EU-funded SUSTLIVES project, this easy to read poster provides information on target neglected and underutilized species in Niger as well as information on their importance for nutrition, climate resilience and livelihoods

NUS: le monde gagne à manger local, Burkina Faso

Within the EU-funded SUSTLIVES project, this easy to read poster provides information on target neglected and underutilized species in Burkina Faso as well as information on their importance for nutrition, climate resilience and livelihoods