Selected Papers from “Utilisation of Underutilized Species for Future Food Security and the Conservation of Biocultural Diversity”

Dear Colleagues,

October 18–21 2024, Hanoi Vietnam

Sustainable food systems aim to ensure food security and meet the basic nutritional needs of people while upholding social, environmental, and economic sustainability (Knez et al., 2023). However, these systems face unprecedented challenges due to factors such as global population increase, climate change, and resource scarcity, placing a growing strain on agro-food value chains worldwide (Sood et al., 2023). Simultaneously, unsustainable and industrial agricultural practices negatively impact biodiversity and extensively consume valuable land resources. The United Nations (UN) is actively involved in the Global Action on Nutrition to eradicate malnutrition in all its forms and develop resilient, sustainable food systems that support healthy diets. It is imperative to establish food production systems that preserve and promote diversity within and between different plant species, encouraging varietal and plant diversity (Adegbeye et al., 2020).

Expanding the global food basket involves reintegrating traditionally marginalized plants. Underutilised crops, including edible flowers, tubers, and fruits, often represent significant local food sources that have not been widely utilised. To achieve this, comprehensive knowledge about crop types, diversity, and agronomy has been gathered to develop practices that optimise crop performance, quality, and resource use efficiency within specific cropping systems. Genetic diversity and genomics have been employed to characterize the viable phenotypes and genotypes of currently underutilised crop species across a range of cropping systems. Furthermore, adopting a food system approach enables the identification of key factors influencing the nutritional and other desirable qualities of underutilised crop species along the value chain, leading to the development of innovative food and non-food products for both public and commercial benefit (Gregory et al., 2019). Additionally, assessing their potential contributions to the bioeconomy, as well as to food and nutritional security in current and future climates, is a key area of interest.

Chiang Mai University, with assistance from its partners, together with the journal Diversity, is organizing the International Conference on Local Edible Plant Diversity on October 18–21, 2024, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The theme of the conference is “Utilisation of underutilized species for future food security and the conservation of biocultural diversity”.

This conference endeavours to bring together participants from around the world to underscore the significance of almost forgotten and underutilised edible plants. The thematic areas encompass crop diversity, ethnobotanical studies, cultural food, nutritional and phytochemical importance, breeding and omics approaches, as well as physiological and molecular responses of various underutilised edible crops to environmental cues. Research related to edible flowers will be encouraged at the conference. The event will comprise diverse sessions, including keynote addresses, plenary sessions, invited lectures, oral and poster presentations, and workshops. The overarching goal of the conference is to promote interdisciplinary exchange, fostering new collaborations to share the evidence and opportunities presented by currently underutilised crops for the benefit of societies worldwide. The journal Diversity will publish a Special Issue for this conference. Every accepted paper which successfully passes the peer review process will receive a discount of 20% of the article processing charge (APC).

The Topics of Interest:

• S1. Documentation and digitalisation of edible plant diversity;
• S2. Nutrition, phytochemistry and bioactivities of food plants;
• S3. Introduction, domestication and cultivation and ecology of edible plants;
• S4. Physiology and molecular responses to environment;
• S5. Wild edible flowers.

Organisers

Dr. Sarana Sommano, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Prof. Dr. Long Chunlin, Minzu University of China
Dr. Angkana Inta, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Dr. Prateep Panyadee, Research and Conservation Department, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Thailand

Conferences committees

Thailand

Dr. Pongsakorn Suppakittpaisarn, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University
Dr. Ratchuporn Suksathan, Research and Conservation Department, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
Mr. Maythee Wongnak, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

China

Dr. Yao Fu, Kunming Insitute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming
Dr. Yinxian Shi, Kunming Insitute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming

Laos

Dr. Chanhmany Sphnav, Northern Agriculture and Forestry College, Luang prabang Laos
Dr. Outhai Soukkhy, Northern Agriculture and Forestry College, Luang prabang Laos

Vietnam

Dr. Vo Huu Cong, Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
Dr. Nguyen Trung Thanh, Faculty of Biology, VNU University of Science, Hanoi
Dr. Tran Trong Phuong, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam National University of Agriculture

Proposed tentative important dates

Conference Dates: from Monday, October 18, 2024 to Wednesday, October 21, 2024
Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline: August 30, 2024*
Final Abstract Submission Deadline: September 15, 2024
Results of abstract review returned to authors: Generally, within two weeks
Full conference registration fees due for all presenters: October 04, 2024
Full conference paper submission (post event): January 15, 2025

Registration fee 450 USD
Early bird Registration fee 300 USD
Student (international): 200 USD**
Student (Vietnamese): 150 USD**

**Deadline August 30, 2024 then 300 USD apply to all student registration

Accompanying person 300 USD

Guide for submission for presenting at the conference

https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/journal/proceedings/instructions

Instructions for authors for full research article submission (Post event)

https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/journal/diversity/instructions#submission

References

• Adegbeye, M., Reddy, P. R. K., Obaisi, A., Elghandour, M., Oyebamiji, K., Salem, A., Morakinyo-Fasipe, O., Cipriano-Salazar, M., & Camacho-Díaz, L. (2020). Sustainable agriculture options for production, greenhouse gasses and pollution alleviation, and nutrient recycling in emerging and transitional nations-An overview. Journal of Cleaner Production, 242, 118319.
• Gregory, P. J., Mayes, S., Hui, C. H., Jahanshiri, E., Julkifle, A., Kuppusamy, G., Kuan, H. W., Lin, T. X., Massawe, F., & Suhairi, T. (2019). Crops For the Future (CFF): an overview of research efforts in the adoption of underutilised species. Planta, 250, 979–988.
• Knez, M., Ranić, M., & Gurinović, M. (2023). Underutilized plants increase biodiversity, improve food and nutrition security, reduce malnutrition, and enhance human health and well-being. Let’s put them back on the plate! Nutrition Reviews. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1093/nutrit/nuad103
• Sood, S., Malhotra, N., Tripathi, K., Laibach, N., & Rosero, A. (2023). Editorial: Food of the future: underutilized foods [Editorial]. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3389/fnut.2023.1307856

Prof. Dr. Chunlin Long
Dr. Sarana Sommano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• edible plant diversity
• conservation
• biocultural diversity