SUSTLIVES project: Turning Neglected and Underutilised Species (NUS) into opportunity crops — Insights from Burkina Faso and Niger

Neglected and underutilised species (NUS)—often referred to by multiple names including forgotten foods or orphan crops—are plants that have been overlooked in modern agriculture. Yet these species are anything but marginal. Many are exceptionally nutrient-rich, deeply embedded in cultural traditions and have sustained local diets for generations. Crucially, NUS are remarkably resilient. Shaped by the environments in which they evolved, they are well adapted to local conditions and generally need less water and fewer pesticides and fertilizers than most modern varieties.

At a time when climate change is putting food systems under strain, these traits are essential. Implemented between 2021 to 2025, the Sustaining and Improving Local Crop Patrimony in Burkina Faso and Niger for Better Lives and Ecosystems (SUSTLIVES) project responds to a pressing challenge: agriculture is central to food security and livelihoods in both countries, yet climate change is placing growing pressure on local agrobiodiversity, nutrition and rural incomes. By recognizing the value of NUS and advancing their conservation and sustainable use, SUSTLIVES challenges a persistent misconception: NUS are not marginal, but opportunity crops critical to building resilient and sustainable food systems in the Sahel and across Africa.

This book is an introduction to NUS (or opportunity crops, as SUSTLIVES now frames them) and explores their potential. Drawing on examples from the SUSTLIVES project, the book highlights practical ways to conserve, grow and sustainably use these crops. It also celebrates the achievements of local farmers, women, youth and entire communities who collaborated with SUSTLIVES and are now cultivating with renewed confidence, innovating with purpose and reclaiming pride in their local agrobiodiversity.