Tackling Food Insecurity in Cabo Verde Islands: The Nutritional, Agricultural and Environmental Values of the Legume Species

Abstract

Legume species are important food sources to reduce hunger and deal with malnutrition; they also play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture in the tropical dry islands of Cabo Verde. To improve the knowledge of the heritage of plant genetic resources in this Middle Income Country, this study had three main goals: (i) to provide a checklist of food legumes; (ii) to investigate which species are traded in local markets and, based on field surveys, to compare species for their chemical, phenolic, antioxidant, and nutritional composition; and (iii) to discuss the agronomic value and contribution to food security in this archipelago. Our results revealed that 15 species are used as food and 5 of them are locally traded (Cajanus cajan, Lablab purpureus, Phaseolus lunatus, Phaseolus vulgaris, and Vigna unguiculata). The role of these species as sources of important minerals, antioxidants, and nutritional components for food security is highlighted, and the native ones (Lablab purpureus and Vigna unguiculata) stand-out as particularly well-adapted to the climate of these islands, which are already experiencing the adverse effects of climate change. We conclude that the sustainable use of these genetic resources can contribute to the reduction of hunger and poverty, thus meeting some challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Exploring physicochemical and cytogenomic diversity of African cowpea and common bean

“…As stated above, Angola, Mozambique and Cabo Verde revealed a high genetic diversity, however, no accessions of the studied species were reported in the national gene banks. Our results agree with previous studies, which recognized the lack of ex situ conservation strategies for Crop Wild Relatives native to Angola 16 and Cabo Verde 48 , 49 . As Vigna and Phaseolus genera include several cultivated species and their Crop Wild Relatives (i.e., other taxa with a close genetic relationship to cultivated species), their conservation is extremely important to guarantee the supply of new genetic material, essential for the future crop improvement.…”

Nutritional and Functional Properties of Wild Leafy Vegetables for Improving Food Security in Southern Angola

“…Thus, the characterization of their composition and functional characteristics, as well as of their bioecology, is important for the knowledge and appreciation of these traditional food products. Also, it is important to investigate the antinutritional and toxicological properties of the wild edible plants (Brilhante et al, 2021). Despite their use as ingredients in food, their toxicity for humans and animals is still inadequately and insufficiently studied (Damalas, 2008;Frida et al, 2008;Bartolome et al, 2013), and soil contamination with heavy metals can be a cause of concern (Atayese et al, 2008;Chia et al, 2019;Amadi et al, 2020).…”

Characterization of Bioactive Phenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of Edible Bean Extracts of 50 Fabaceae Populations Grown in Thailand

“…The fruits of Fabaceae plants usually contain one- to many-seeded legumes, which are dehiscent or indehiscent, dry, or fleshy, inflated or compressed. The species members of Fabaceae have been used in various proposes ranging from food, cosmetics, timber, ornamentals, and medicines to use as fodder and green manure [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In Thailand, the edible Fabaceae species is one of the most important foods, which have long been consumed, and which are used more than other plant groups [ 4 , 7 , 8 ].…”