Africa’s forgotten crops and the restructuring of climate resilient food systems

March 27, 2026

The resurgence of interest in so called “orphan crops” across sub-Saharan Africa reflects a deeper structural tension within global agriculture. For much of the twentieth century, agricultural development strategies prioritized yield maximization through a narrow set of staple crops, particularly maize, wheat and rice. While this model contributed to caloric expansion, it also introduced systemic vulnerabilities that are becoming increasingly evident under conditions of climatic instability.

Maize occupies a central position in this dynamic. Today it accounts for a substantial share of caloric intake across eastern and southern Africa, in some countries exceeding half of daily consumption. Yet its agronomic profile is poorly aligned with the environmental conditions that characterize large parts of the continent. Maize requires relatively predictable rainfall, exhibits sensitivity to heat stress during key growth stages and depends on nitrogen rich soils or external inputs. In rainfed systems, which constitute roughly 80 percent of smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, these constraints translate into high interannual yield variability.

Recent climatic data underscores the magnitude of this exposure. Analyses of drought patterns in East Africa suggest that the probability of multi season rainfall failure has increased dramatically over the past decades, in some cases by orders of magnitude relative to preindustrial baselines. Yield response models further indicate that for each degree of global temperature increase, maize productivity in tropical regions declines by approximately five percent on average, with localized projections in East Africa reaching reductions of up to one third under 1.5°C warming scenarios. These figures are not merely abstract projections but are increasingly reflected in observed production volatility and price instability.

Against this backdrop, the renewed focus on indigenous and underutilized crops represents both an agronomic and a nutritional intervention. Crops such as sorghum, pearl millet, bambara groundnut and a range of traditional legumes exhibit traits that are particularly relevant under conditions of water scarcity and low soil fertility. Many possess deeper root systems, shorter growing cycles or physiological mechanisms that confer tolerance to heat and drought stress. In addition, several of these species contribute to soil nitrogen fixation, thereby addressing one of the core limitations of maize based systems without reliance on synthetic fertilizers.

Nutritionally, diversification beyond maize is equally significant. Diets heavily dominated by starchy staples are associated with micronutrient deficiencies and high rates of child stunting across parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Indigenous crops often contain higher levels of protein, essential amino acids and micronutrients, including iron and B vitamins. The reintroduction of these crops therefore intersects with public health objectives as much as with agronomic resilience.

Despite these advantages, the marginalization of such crops has been persistent. One explanation lies in the political economy of agricultural research and development. Investment has historically been concentrated in globally traded cereals, supported by well established seed systems and input supply chains. In contrast, orphan crops have suffered from limited breeding efforts, fragmented markets and weak institutional support. As a result, even where improved varieties exist, adoption rates remain uneven and in some cases minimal.

Recent initiatives, including the IFAD’s Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils and earlier efforts such as the African Orphan Crops Consortium, attempt to address this imbalance by directing funding toward genetic improvement, seed systems and soil health. However, the translation of research outputs into widespread adoption continues to face structural bottlenecks. These include limited commercial incentives for seed companies, given that many traditional crops are open pollinated and can be replanted by farmers, as well as persistent demand side biases shaped by urbanization and changing dietary preferences.

It is within this context that localized, cooperative based interventions acquire particular significance. In Ghana, especially in the agricultural zones surrounding Kumasi, farmer cooperatives represent an institutional mechanism through which diversification strategies can be operationalized. Our engagement with these cooperatives provides an example of how such transitions can be structured at the interface of agronomy, market development and community organization.

Rather than framing crop substitution as a binary shift away from maize, the approach emphasizes incremental diversification. Cassava is a central component of this strategy. As discussed in our earlier agriculture analyses, cassava’s tolerance to erratic rainfall and its ability to remain in the ground for extended periods without significant loss of caloric value make it an effective buffer against seasonal food deficits. Empirically, cassava yields exhibit lower variance under drought conditions compared to maize, even if average caloric productivity per hectare may be lower under optimal conditions.

The intervention, however, extends beyond primary production. A critical constraint in cassava systems has historically been post harvest perishability, with roots deteriorating rapidly after harvest. Our work with cooperatives has therefore focused on strengthening processing capacity and value addition, including drying, fermentation and the development of shelf stable derivatives. This not only reduces post harvest losses but also integrates cassava into local and regional markets in more flexible forms.

Parallel efforts involve the reintroduction of legumes and other indigenous crops into rotation systems. From a soil science perspective, this contributes to improved nitrogen balances and can mitigate long term soil degradation associated with continuous maize cultivation. Empirical studies in West African agroecosystems suggest that legume integration can significantly enhance subsequent cereal yields even in low input systems, indicating a pathway toward productivity gains without proportional increases in external inputs.

Cooperatives play a central role in mediating these transitions. They facilitate knowledge dissemination, coordinate input distribution and aggregate outputs for market access. Importantly, they also provide a framework within which risk can be shared. Adoption of unfamiliar crops entails uncertainty, particularly in environments where market demand is not fully established. Collective structures help to absorb some of this uncertainty by enabling coordinated experimentation and by linking production decisions to emerging value chains.

Nevertheless, several constraints remain. Consumer preferences, particularly in urban areas, continue to favor maize based products and increasingly imported or processed foods. This demand structure feeds back into production decisions, reinforcing the dominance of a narrow set of crops. Policy environments often mirror these preferences, with subsidies and support programs disproportionately targeting maize. As a result, diversification efforts must operate within, rather than outside of, existing economic and cultural frameworks.

What emerges from the Ghanaian case is not a simple narrative of rediscovery but a more complex process of system reconfiguration. The integration of orphan crops into contemporary agriculture requires alignment across multiple domains, including plant breeding, soil management, market development and cultural acceptance. It also requires institutional forms capable of coordinating these domains at scale.

In this respect, the work of VIVACE with cooperatives outside Kumasi illustrates a model that is neither purely top down nor entirely endogenous. It draws on global research and funding streams while remaining grounded in locally specific practices and constraints. The emphasis on diversification, rather than substitution, reflects an understanding that resilience in agricultural systems is a function of heterogeneity.

As climate variability intensifies and demographic pressures increase, the limitations of monoculture based systems are likely to become more pronounced. The question is not whether alternative crops can contribute to resilience but how effectively they can be integrated into existing socio economic structures. Africa’s so called forgotten crops are therefore better understood not as relics of past systems but as underutilized components of future ones.

CPM