Ms. Simmi Ranjan Kumar is a Post Doctoral Researcher at Department of Biotechnology, Mahidol University in Thailand.
Underutilized crops also called as neglected, orphaned, minor or little used, which is not only limited to the non-staple foods. These crops mostly wild or semi-domesticated, which is adapted to the regional environment. These crops have been in use from centuries but neglected and replaced in the farming system compared to significant crops due to less production and profit. Due to agricultural development and extensive support of high-yielding varieties, underutilized crops are reaching to extinction. The demand for over simplification of food and agriculture system leads to underutilized crops to perform a marginal role in present food and farming systems. According to people these crops considered as a food for the poor, because of this it continuously discouraging for the consumption and production of these underutilized crops. However, underutilized crops are under-explored, but they can fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty.