Underutilized vegetable crops are valuable plant resources that have not received much attention despite their rich nutrition profile, adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions and potential to support sustainable agriculture. These low-input crops are important source of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and health-promoting compounds, supporting both food and nutrition security. Commercialization of these vegetables needs standardized agronomy and solid supply chains connecting farmers and urban consumers. Government initiative schemes such as MIDH subsidies, Minimum Support Price (MSP) system and inclusion of underutilized vegetables into national programs like PM-POSHAN is essential to ensure economic viability and addressing global “hidden hunger”.
Sahu, S.K., Nirankar., Naik, R., 2026. Underutilized Vegetable Crops: Hidden treasures for sustainable agriculture. Biotica Research Today 8(3), 47-50. DOI: 10.54083/BRT/08.03.26/47-50.
Food security, Germplasm conservation, Hidden hunger, Nutritional security
Ali, A., Bhattacharjee, B., 2023. Nutrition security, constraints and agro-diversification strategies of neglected and underutilized crops to fight global hidden hunger. Frontiers in Nutrition 10, 1144439. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1144439.
Kaur, S., Kaur, G., Kumari, A., Ghosh, A., Singh, G., Bhardwaj, R., Kumar, A., Riar, A., 2025. Resurrecting forgotten crops: Food-based products from potential underutilized crops a path to nutritional security and diversity. Future Foods 11, 100585. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2025.100585.
Kumaresan, M., Arumugam, V.A., Mariyappillai, A., Subramani, M., 2024. Nutritional content of underutilized vegetable crops: A source for nutritional security and human health. Asian Research Journal of Agriculture 17(2), 233-241. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/ARJA/2024/v17i2442.
Shraddha, Bhardwaj, R.K., Shukla, Y.R., Akshay, D.A., Vashishat, R.K., 2024. Underexploited tropical and subtropical vegetable crops for diversification and nutritional security: A review. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 48(8), 1094-1114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2024.2348638.
