Only the formal sector regards these crops as neglected and underutilized; for smallholder farmers around the world, they are often the bedrock of production, being well suited to marginal environments and adaptable to changing conditions. They thus have an important part to play in boosting the resilience of fragile farming systems and thereby sustainably improving livelihoods. However, all stakeholders still have much to learn from one another. The Conference will promote knowledge sharing and debate under three umbrella themes: Resilience of agricultural and livelihood systems; Upgrading value chains of neglected and underutilized species; Creating an enabling environment.
