Abstract
The potential of green leafy vegetables and underutilized plants in addressing global challenges in nutrition, health, and sustainability will be explored in three key sections.
The first section will focus on green leafy vegetables, highlighting their botanical diversity, consumption trends, and nutritional value, including their rich content of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Their role in supporting human health, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture will be discussed, alongside the impact of climate change and future technological advancements in production and post-harvest handling.
The second section will cover underutilized plants, emphasizing their nutritional superiority and bioactive properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects. Their potential to diversify diets, combat malnutrition, and improve food security will be explored, alongside the challenges of limited research, commercialization, and societal awareness. Strategies for promoting and reintroducing these plants into modern food systems will be proposed.
Finally, the integration of these plants into global food systems will be addressed, stressing the importance of a diverse range of nutrient-rich plants for enhancing dietary diversity, preserving biodiversity, and strengthening food security. Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, policy development, and collective action to promote sustainable cultivation and consumption will also be discussed. The overall goal is to underscore how green leafy vegetables and underutilized plants can improve health and contribute to environmental and economic sustainability.