Year 2025, Volume 10, Issue 1
| Year : | 2025 |
| Volume : | 10 |
| Issue : | 1 |
| Authors : | Mahamane TARRI ALIOU, Halima OUMAROU DIADIE, Iro DAN GUIMBO, Lawali DAMBO, Filippo ACASTO, Hamid EL BILALI |
| Title : | ASSESSMENT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SELECTED NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILISED CROP SPECIES IN NIGER |
| Abstract : | There is a gap in the assessment of the sustainability of neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS), especially in developing countries. Therefore, this work assesses the sustainability of six NUS in Niger: sweet potato, cassava, roselle, moringa, okra and Bambara groundnut/voandzou. The assessment was carried out using a framework developed within the project SUSTLIVES (Sustaining and improving local crop patrimony in Burkina Faso and Niger for better lives and ecosystems) that contains 27 indicators related to eight themes covering the three sustainability dimensions (viz. environmental, social, economic). For each NUS, a reference major crop was selected. Data collection was carried out in 2023 through a literature review and, where necessary, interviews with informants and experts. A NUS is considered sustainable if it has a sustainability score equal to or greater than 5 (cf. score of the reference crop), on a 0–10 scale. Results indicate that only okra, moringa and roselle have scores above 5 and are, therefore, sustainable; while the score for sweet potato is close to 5, the cases of cassava and voandzou are more critical. In general, it is at the economic dimension where the lowest scores were recorded. This study provides useful indications on the weaknesses and strengths of the NUS, which should be taken into consideration to improve their performance and sustainability and, therefore, their competitiveness compared to major crops. Particular attention should be paid to social and, especially, economic aspects to ensure the promotion of the concerned NUS in Niger and Sahel. |
| Keywords : | NUS, neglected and underutilised species, sustainability assessment, Sahel, SUSTLIVES. |
ISSN 2490-3434 (Printed)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
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