Unpacking the Multifaceted Benefits of Indigenous Crops for Food Security: A Review of Nutritional, Economic and Environmental Impacts in Southern Africa

Lethu Inneth Mgwenya (), Isaac Azikiwe Agholor, Ndiko Ludidi, Mishal Trevor Morepje, Moses Zakhele Sithole, Nomzamo Sharon Msweli and Variety Nkateko Thabane
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Lethu Inneth Mgwenya: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
Isaac Azikiwe Agholor: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
Ndiko Ludidi: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
Mishal Trevor Morepje: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
Moses Zakhele Sithole: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
Nomzamo Sharon Msweli: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
Variety Nkateko Thabane: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South Africa

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-23

Abstract: Indigenous and traditional food crops (ITFCs) are essential to initiatives aimed at increasing food and nutrition security and diversifying the food supply. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the benefits associated with ITFCs, particularly for food security. The Vigna subterranea (Bambara groundnut), Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea), Colocasia esculenta (Taro), and Sinapis arvensis (Wild mustard) are examples of indigenous crops that were introduced for food security in Southern Africa. This review assessed the advantages of indigenous crops for food security and examined literature, reports, and case studies from 2009 to 2024 using academic databases, like Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and AGRIS, to assess how indigenous crops impact on food security and the benefits thereof. The primary inclusion criteria were nutritional, economic and environmental impacts of these indigenous crops for food security in Southern Africa. The review concludes that maximizing these benefits requires removing obstacles through capacity-building and policy reforms. The need to integrate precision agriculture to increase production of indigenous crops should be considered and the coherent use of food crops associated with food security must be developed by the government. A comprehensive strategy centered on investment in sustainable farming and climate smart agriculture is recommended to ensure food security.

Keywords: indigenous crops; food security; poverty alleviation; climate smart agriculture; sustainable farming; policy reforms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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