Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa
Abstract This study aims to integrate underutilized crops (UCs) into the food system to address climate change impacts, and food -water insecurity. UCs have immense potential to mitigate food shortages, yet their role remains largely unexplored in mainstream agricultural and food security strategies...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03853-4 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850137709148897280 |
|---|---|
| author | Abiodun Olusola Omotayo Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso John Awungnjia Asong |
| author_facet | Abiodun Olusola Omotayo Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso John Awungnjia Asong |
| author_sort | Abiodun Olusola Omotayo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study aims to integrate underutilized crops (UCs) into the food system to address climate change impacts, and food -water insecurity. UCs have immense potential to mitigate food shortages, yet their role remains largely unexplored in mainstream agricultural and food security strategies. A multidisciplinary approach using social psychology, resource-based theory (RBT), and a new ecological paradigm was used to investigate factors influencing UCs adoption and their potential contribution to water and food insecurity in South Africa. The water poverty index (WPI) and household food insecurity access score (HFIAS) were used to determine the water and food insecurity status of rural households. The study found that UCs cultivation was driven by awareness, access to extension advisory services, and climate information. The findings indicate that adopting UCs significantly improves water and food insecurity in South Africa. Consequently, households that integrated UCs into their farming systems experienced higher WPI scores, reflecting improved water availability and conservation, as UCs require less water than conventional crops. Likewise, lower HFIAS values suggest that UCs enhance food insecurity by diversifying diets, stabilizing food access, and reducing seasonal hunger. Statistically, households in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North-West provinces who adopted UCs saw 25.18 (21%), 31.03 (26%), and 28.77 (24%) rise in WPI and HFIAS compared to those who did not embrace UCs, respectively. These results highlight the potential of UCs as climate-resilient crops that mitigate water scarcity and food insecurity, making them a viable strategy for enhancing rural livelihoods amid climate change. Therefore, prioritizing UCs cultivation could build more resilient agricultural systems, address water scarcity and improve food security. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5802ab06395d4bfea5ff335002b35dc6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-5802ab06395d4bfea5ff335002b35dc62025-08-20T02:30:46ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111810.1038/s41598-025-03853-4Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South AfricaAbiodun Olusola Omotayo0Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso1John Awungnjia Asong2Food Security and Focused Area Research Group, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West UniversityFood Security and Focused Area Research Group, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West UniversityUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West UniversityAbstract This study aims to integrate underutilized crops (UCs) into the food system to address climate change impacts, and food -water insecurity. UCs have immense potential to mitigate food shortages, yet their role remains largely unexplored in mainstream agricultural and food security strategies. A multidisciplinary approach using social psychology, resource-based theory (RBT), and a new ecological paradigm was used to investigate factors influencing UCs adoption and their potential contribution to water and food insecurity in South Africa. The water poverty index (WPI) and household food insecurity access score (HFIAS) were used to determine the water and food insecurity status of rural households. The study found that UCs cultivation was driven by awareness, access to extension advisory services, and climate information. The findings indicate that adopting UCs significantly improves water and food insecurity in South Africa. Consequently, households that integrated UCs into their farming systems experienced higher WPI scores, reflecting improved water availability and conservation, as UCs require less water than conventional crops. Likewise, lower HFIAS values suggest that UCs enhance food insecurity by diversifying diets, stabilizing food access, and reducing seasonal hunger. Statistically, households in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North-West provinces who adopted UCs saw 25.18 (21%), 31.03 (26%), and 28.77 (24%) rise in WPI and HFIAS compared to those who did not embrace UCs, respectively. These results highlight the potential of UCs as climate-resilient crops that mitigate water scarcity and food insecurity, making them a viable strategy for enhancing rural livelihoods amid climate change. Therefore, prioritizing UCs cultivation could build more resilient agricultural systems, address water scarcity and improve food security.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03853-4Agro-biodiversityAgricultural innovationDietary diversityEthnobotanyResource value |
| spellingShingle | Abiodun Olusola Omotayo Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso John Awungnjia Asong Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa Scientific Reports Agro-biodiversity Agricultural innovation Dietary diversity Ethnobotany Resource value |
| title | Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa |
| title_full | Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa |
| title_short | Leveraging Africa’s underutilized crops to combat climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity in South Africa |
| title_sort | leveraging africa s underutilized crops to combat climate change water scarcity and food insecurity in south africa |
| topic | Agro-biodiversity Agricultural innovation Dietary diversity Ethnobotany Resource value |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03853-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT abiodunolusolaomotayo leveragingafricasunderutilizedcropstocombatclimatechangewaterscarcityandfoodinsecurityinsouthafrica AT abeebbabatundeomotoso leveragingafricasunderutilizedcropstocombatclimatechangewaterscarcityandfoodinsecurityinsouthafrica AT johnawungnjiaasong leveragingafricasunderutilizedcropstocombatclimatechangewaterscarcityandfoodinsecurityinsouthafrica |