Exploring the Potential of Neglected Local Endemic Plants of Three Mediterranean Regions in the Ornamental Sector: Value Chain Feasibility and Readiness Timescale for Their Sustainable Exploitation

Nikos Krigas, Georgios Tsoktouridis, Ioannis Anestis, Abdelmajid Khabbach, Mohamed Libiad, Wided Megdiche-Ksouri, Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar, Fatima Lamchouri, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Maria A. Tsiafouli, Mohamed El Haissoufi and Soumaya Bourgou
Additional contact information
Nikos Krigas: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgios Tsoktouridis: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis Anestis: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Abdelmajid Khabbach: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1796, Fez-Atlas 30003, Morocco
Mohamed Libiad: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223 Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Wided Megdiche-Ksouri: Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, Laboratoire des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia
Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar: Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Université de Carthage, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Cité Mahrajène, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Fatima Lamchouri: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223 Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Ioannis Tsiripidis: Laboratory of Systematic Botany & Phytogeography, Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria A. Tsiafouli: Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Mohamed El Haissoufi: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223 Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Soumaya Bourgou: Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, Laboratoire des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-29

Abstract: The neglected and underutilized plants (NUPs) have never been mainstreamed by researchers, politicians and stakeholders for sustainable exploitation in the ornamental-horticultural sector. This study focused on 399 local endemic plants of three Mediterranean regions (Crete, Mediterranean coast-Rif of Morocco, Tunisia), with the aim to develop a new scheme for their multifaceted ornamental-horticultural evaluation facilitating their sustainable exploitation. The methodological scheme was developed within three multidisciplinary co-creative workshops by experts and was adjusted by end-users. The developed scheme uses point and weighted scoring of several attributes relevant to biological and ornamental-horticultural characteristics and concerns three ranking levels: (i) ornamental-horticultural potential (general or subsector-specific; 20 attributes), (ii) sustainable exploitation feasibility (12 attributes) and (iii) readiness timescale (after gap and SWOT analyses) in creating value chains in short-, medium- or long-term. The analysis of the data illustrated two example-cases of already achieved sustainable exploitation with established value chains; outlined the prospects for sustainable exploitation of 18 and 23 local endemic NUPs in short-term and medium-term, respectively; and identified 86 taxa with reachable possibilities in the long-term. The proposed multifaceted evaluation scheme can be applied for the valorisation of NUPs in other areas and may help to define priorities and to identify opportunities and gaps for their sustainable exploitation.

Keywords: biodiversity; phytogenetic resources; plant propagation-cultivation; methodological scheme; Crete–Greece; Morocco; Tunisia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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