NUS Food Crops to support food production, local community economy and ecosystem services in Mediterranean Areas under Climatic Risk
1
Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco per l'Ambiente e la Salute, Università degi studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Antonio Vivaldi, 43, Caserta, CE - 81100, Italia
2
, Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos - Dimitra (ELGO), Nirvana 68 & Kourtidou 56-58, Athens, - 11145, Greece
Mediterranean agricultural systems are increasingly exposed to salinization and desertification driven by climate change. In these areas where the extreme conditions of the land, limit agronomic productivity leading to economic and social crise, it is very important to find alternative strategies for resilient and sustainable food production to support local communities. Neglected and underutilized plant species (NUS), traditionally consumed across the Mediterranean basin, represent promising alternatives due to their high nutritional value, low input requirements, and adaptability to marginal environments. This study, part of the PRIMA project “VENUS”, explores the agroecological and nutritional potential of selected Mediterranean NUS by integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with stress tolerance indices related to salinity, drought, and soil constraints. The potential of provision services of these plants is explored as well as their marketability, nutritional value and environmental co-benefits of their production, and they are compared with equivalent commercial plant based food most, typically produced in not-limited agricultural environment. Data extracted by international databases and literature review highlight the significant economic and ecological potential of these crops in Mediterranean areas under land degradation and climate risk. The next step of the project is to evaluate the local capacity building for crop and trading of these species and the creation of marketing initiatives for the engaged actors.
Capitale naturale, servizi ecosistemici e contabilità ambientale
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