Vigna subterranean (Bambara groundnut), a possible weapon in fighting the malnutrition war in the arid and sub-arid regions

Abstract

The global effort in fighting the nutrition war seems to be witnessing a record setback owing to recent climatic changes, growing insecurity, COVID-19 disruptions etc. all resulting in a global rise in food prices. Parts of Africa and Asia have constantly ranked high in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) and are already associated with the poverty and malnutrition crisis. Women and children remain the worst victims of this crisis. Although Africa is a host to a number of locally sourced, nutritious food crops which have been used as food in the time past, these crops remain underutilized while Sub-Sahara Africa remains on the red list for malnutrition. Among these underutilized plants is Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean (L.) Verdc, synonym; Voandzeia subterranean (L.) Thouars. The seeds contain about 64.4% carbohydrate, 23.6% protein, 6.5% fat, 5.5% fiber and a lot of minerals as well as a number of secondary metabolites. In Africa, the nuts have been processed into various meals which are cheaper sources of protein with high acceptability. Bambara nuts, with such a rich nutritional content can be cultivated even in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world which are ravaged by malnutrition. Highlighting and promoting such cheaper, highly nutritious foods, can be a very effective weapon for dealing with the current malnutrition crisis in the world. With this, the global sustainable development goals #2 and #3, already grossly set back by COVID-19 and global insecurity etc., may still be attainable by the year 2030.