Contribution of Minor Cereals to Sustainable Diets and Agro-Food Biodiversity

Dear Colleagues,

Increased awareness of the nutritional properties of foods and recent trends towards low-input and sustainable agriculture have led to a renewed interest in underutilized crops. In addition, the dependence on a small number of crop species limits the capability to cope with challenges posed by the adverse effects of climate change affecting food security. One solution could be the wider use of the so-called orphan or minor cereals to diversify agricultural systems and food sources. Beyond being highly nutritious, underutilized cereals are inherently resilient, making them a suitable surrogate to major ones such as wheat, rice and corn. In addition, many cereals considered neglected at a global level are staples at a national or regional level.

This Special Issue deals with the continuum aspects, ‘from farm to fork’, in terms of ways that minor cereals could boost food security, foster rural development, support sustainable land care and contribute to healthier diets. In this Special Issue, we aim to publish innovative research and review papers about the rediscovery of minor cereals, their technological, biochemical and nutritional characteristics, and test their attitude for the formulation of innovative wholegrain, low or gluten-free products which will meet the need of health-conscious consumers so as to encourage the use of niche cereals. New raw materials, new functional ingredients, upcycling of waste materials and in vivo experiments to test the effect of assumption of these cereals will be further addressed in this Special Issue. Predictions of product quality, adopting chemometrics, multi-variate and statistical data analysis approaches are also welcome.

In conclusion, this Special Issue aims to provide fundamental understanding and the current strategies for revitalization of underutilized cereals, which represent a reservoir of biodiversity that is useful to ensure sustainable production in the context of climate change.

Dr. Laura Gazza
Dr. Francesca Nocente
Guest Editors

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