About this Research Topic

Background

A food system describes the interconnected activities involving the production, processing, transport, and consumption of foods. It includes the influence of nutrition, on health, community development and agriculture. Indigenous food systems represent the food processing, preparation and consumption methods associated with localities and regions of the world. The ever increasing world population (especially in developing countries) requires an increase in food production methods; up-grading and diversification of processing methods for nutrient retention and health benefits in order to prevent hunger and malnutrition. Changing values and cultures have led to the under exploitation of many food crops that have good potential to prevent malnutrition and promote healthy living. The changing climate situation requires sustainability in adaptive and mitigation measures for post-harvest processing and storage to overcome unpredictable climate changes. Indigenous food systems include all the important plant, animal and microorganisms that have sustained Indigenous peoples over the years. They contribute immensely to biodiversity; climate change adaptation and mitigation; poverty eradication and food security. There are innovative agricultural practices that can be deduced and adapted from indigenous practices. Exploration of the prospects offered by indigenous food systems will improve dietary diversity, provide cues to innovations and adaptability measures to climate change. There is the need to consolidate the composition of indigenous foods (local varieties of legumes; cereals; fruits and vegetables; wild plants etc. and their nutritional quality in order to promote food security. Indigenous knowledge can provide insight for research.

In this Research Topic we intend to harness research results focusing on the processing and storage of underutilized indigenous foods with immense benefits for combating malnutrition as well as indigenous processing methods that give a cue to innovative technologies for novel processing, packing, and storage.

This Research Topic welcomes original research, review and short communications on the processing, packing, and storage of underutilized indigenous foods at global and regional levels. Contributions in the natural and social sciences including interdisciplinary work addressing the political, social economic and environmental factors that promote the improved processing and storage of underutilized foods are invited.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Legumes and oil seeds

Cereals,

Fruits, roots and tuber crops

Plant products

Underutilized animal species (insects, fish species, crustaceans etc)

Indigenous processing and storage methods and their scientific merits

Innovative processing and storage methods for underutilized foods

Examples of titles for consideration by potential authors are suggested as follows:

Climate change adaptation strategies of an indigenous Nigerian community to cassava processing and storage.

Innovative processing and storage methods for improved shelf stability of Bonga fish (an underutilized fish species).

Keywords: Indigenous foods, processing, preservation, health benefits, malnutrition, storage

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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