At present humankind depends on a few staple crops for its food security. However, in the past, this role was played by a diverse group of nutritious crops, which were usually sourced locally. These traditional crops are still consumed to a limited extent in rural communities worldwide. These Neglected and Underutilised Crops (NUCs) have the potential to aid in achieving specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Out of these the most notable is naturally SDG 2 – ‘End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’. However, there are several others in the 17 SDGs that can be supported through greater utilization of NUCs. Some characteristic features of NUCs are that they are nutrition-dense, climate resilient, generally economically viable and climate adapted species that do well in marginal areas (FAO, 2018). It is these characteristics that allow NUCs to play a role in achieving certain other SDGs on top of the SDG 2. The use of NUCs support rural economies by employment and income generation and thereby contribute to SDG 1 on ‘no poverty’. Their use allows communities to have a healthy and adequate diet and thus contribute to SDG 3 on ‘good health and well-being’. Some of these crops are grown, managed, or harvested by women in their home gardens allowing their cultivation to indirectly empower women and thereby contribute to SDG 5 on ‘gender equality’. ‘Promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ is envisaged under SDG 8. With agriculture being the single largest employer and its role in developing countries where it contributes to the GDP to a large extent, NUCs can assist in achieving targets related to employment and economic productivity. The SDG 10 on ‘reducing inequalities’ focuses on this aspect both within and among countries. The cultivation of NUCs by rural farmers can assist in the former by helping achieve targets such as reducing income inequalities as well as by empowering and promoting economic inclusion irrespective of gender or economic status. Sustainable production and consumption are fostered using NUCs which helps in moving towards targets such as sustainable management and use of natural resources under SDG 12 on ‘sustainable consumption’. The growth of climate resilient and climate adapted crops supports the resilience of agriculture to a changing climate and is therefore important under SDG 13 on ‘climate action’. The conservation of agrobiodiversity and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems are two important benefits stemming from a commitment towards NUCs and these directly relate to realizing SDG 15 - ‘life on land’. Other than these direct and indirect contributions various synergies also exist amongst the contribution of NUCs to different SDGs, including to those not mentioned above. For example, food security and peace are often mutually reinforcing and thus through SDG 2, greater use of NUCs can have a positive effect on promoting ‘just, peaceful and inclusive societies’ (SDG 14).

The 2030 Agenda is aimed at ending extreme poverty, reducing inequality, and protecting the planet and pledges to ‘leave no one behind’ in realizing the SDG targets. Therefore, the growth and consumption of NUCs has an important role to play in achieving this goal, particularly due to their economic and social impact on rural and marginalised groups.

FAO (2018). FUTURE SMART FOOD Rediscovering hidden treasures of neglected and underutilized species for Zero Hunger in Asia, Executive summary, Bangkok.