Status of Underutilized Crops in Ethiopia: Opportunities, Challenges and Policy Recommendations for Development of Underutilized Crops

Underutilized crops are an important part of agro-biodiversity, and they have the potential to help poor rural communities adapt to climate change, enhance food security, and gain food sovereignty. Despite increased interest in research, they remain on the peripheries of the agricultural mainstream. Its main goal is to give policy suggestions for supporting the production, conservation, and expanded use of underutilized crops for improved food and livelihood security, particularly for Ethiopia's rural poor. A survey study and literature analysis were used to assess the state of Ethiopia's underutilized crops in order to identify existing gaps, opportunities, challenges, and potential future policy suggestions and guidelines. According to the study, Ethiopia's food and agricultural legislation and policy frameworks allow certain opportunities for the development and use of underutilized crops, but the majority of them do not support or favor these crop products. From agricultural research, production, and extension to agricultural marketing and the country's approach to food security, Ethiopia's policy planning is tilted towards promoting the large crops at the expense of the rural poor people's crops—the underutilized crops. This is unfortunate because many Ethiopian households, especially those in rural areas where the majority of the population resides, rely on these crops not just for food and nutrition but also for income and overall stability. Reforming Ethiopia's food and agricultural policy is also crucial to ensuring that underutilized crops are adequately supported in order to improve Ethiopians' food and livelihood security, particularly in rural areas. It's crucial to identify underutilized crops with the greatest potential for success and the ability to be incorporated into a variety of production or cropping systems, as well as to prioritize them for future research, development, and innovation Keywords: climate change; challenges; food and nutrition security; opportunities; sustainability