Orphan crops in Burkina Faso and Niger: a systematic review

Abstract Humanity faces unprecedented, interlinked challenges to achieve sustainable development (e.g., climate change, food and nutrition insecurity, livelihoods vulnerability and poverty, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation). Orphan crops (i.e., neglected and underutilized species) are put forward by many scholars and practitioners to address these challenges, especially in developing countries of the Global South. However, the development of orphan crops requires investments in research and innovation. Therefore, this paper analyses the landscape of research dealing with orphan crops in Burkina Faso and Niger. The systematic review—drawing upon a search carried out on Scopus in November 2019—provides an overview on both the bibliographical metrics (journals, subject areas, authors, institutions, countries, and funding) and the topics addressed (species, food chain stages, climate change, food security and nutrition, and livelihoods). Available scholarly literature focuses on the production stage and on biological sciences; social sciences and economics are underserved. The review shows that although orphan crops are resilient, nutritious, and adapted to marginal agro-ecosystems, research dealing with them is still marginal and at an early stage of development in both countries. Therefore, the paper highlights the urgent need to strengthen research on orphan crops within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) of both countries. For that, both domestic funding and international support are needed to implement a long-term agenda for research and development on these crops.