The role of grain legumes in Sub-Saharan Africa’s food security

IF 4.5 1区农林科学 Q1 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Food Security Pub Date : 2026-08-07 DOI:10.1007/s12571-026-01704-2

Hamid Khazaei

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Grain legumes play a multifunctional role in addressing food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet they remain under-prioritised in agricultural policy and research. This opinion paper argues that grain legumes should be recognised as strategic crops in SSA because they greatly contribute to soil fertility through symbiotic nitrogen fixation, improve dietary protein, fibre and micronutrient intake, enhance crop and cropping system diversification, and strengthen resilience to climatic and economic challenges. Despite these benefits, poor seed systems, biotic and abiotic constraints, limited policy support, post-harvest losses, and uneven research investment continue to constrain their potential. Greater integration of grain legumes into national food security strategies, breeding programmes, extension services, and market development is essential for building productive, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable food systems in the SSA.

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谷物豆类在撒哈拉以南非洲粮食安全中的作用

谷物豆类在解决撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）的粮食不安全问题方面发挥着多功能作用，但它们在农业政策和研究中的优先地位仍然不足。本文认为，豆科作物应被视为南亚地区的战略作物，因为它们通过共生固氮极大地促进了土壤肥力，改善了膳食蛋白质、纤维和微量营养素的摄入，促进了作物和种植系统的多样化，并增强了对气候和经济挑战的抵御能力。尽管有这些好处，但低劣的种子系统、生物和非生物限制、有限的政策支持、收获后损失以及不平衡的研究投资继续制约着它们的潜力。将谷物豆科作物更多地纳入国家粮食安全战略、育种计划、推广服务和市场开发，对于在南撒哈拉地区建立高产、营养和环境可持续的粮食系统至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Food Security FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY-

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

6.00%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： Food Security is a wide audience, interdisciplinary, international journal dedicated to the procurement, access (economic and physical), and quality of food, in all its dimensions. Scales range from the individual to communities, and to the world food system. We strive to publish high-quality scientific articles, where quality includes, but is not limited to, the quality and clarity of text, and the validity of methods and approaches. Food Security is the initiative of a distinguished international group of scientists from different disciplines who hold a deep concern for the challenge of global food security, together with a vision of the power of shared knowledge as a means of meeting that challenge. To address the challenge of global food security, the journal seeks to address the constraints - physical, biological and socio-economic - which not only limit food production but also the ability of people to access a healthy diet. From this perspective, the journal covers the following areas: Global food needs: the mismatch between population and the ability to provide adequate nutrition Global food potential and global food production Natural constraints to satisfying global food needs: § Climate, climate variability, and climate change § Desertification and flooding § Natural disasters § Soils, soil quality and threats to soils, edaphic and other abiotic constraints to production § Biotic constraints to production, pathogens, pests, and weeds in their effects on sustainable production The sociological contexts of food production, access, quality, and consumption. Nutrition, food quality and food safety. Socio-political factors that impinge on the ability to satisfy global food needs: § Land, agricultural and food policy § International relations and trade § Access to food § Financial policy § Wars and ethnic unrest Research policies and priorities to ensure food security in its various dimensions.