FAO, FARA2026-08-202026-08Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, & Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa. (2026). Regional consultation on opportunity crops in Africa: Book of extended abstracts. Accra, Ghana.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14659/341This publication is the official compilation of extended abstracts submitted to the Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa. The consultation brought together stakeholders from research, policy, higher education, agricultural development, farmer organizations, the private sector, and development institutions to identify practical pathways for repositioning opportunity crops within Africa's agrifood transformation agenda. The publication recognizes opportunity crops—including indigenous crops, traditional crops, neglected and underutilized species (NUS), orphan crops, and other underexploited food species—as important resources for addressing interconnected challenges related to climate change, food and nutrition insecurity, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and rural economic development. The volume contains 30 extended abstracts, organized into four thematic sections: Part I: Strategic Framing, Policy and Institutional Transformation This section addresses the role of opportunity crops in agrifood systems transformation, policy integration, institutional capacity, regional scaling, agricultural education, and coordinated action. Part II: Conservation, Genetic Resources, Seed Systems and Breeding This section examines plant genetic resource conservation, genebanks, on-farm diversity management, climate-resilient breeding, variety registration, formal seed systems, and plant breeding capacity. Part III: Production Systems, Agronomy and Mechanization This section explores crop production, technical efficiency, climate-smart agriculture, mechanization, agronomic research, crop disease management, and innovation pathways for scaling opportunity crops. Part IV: Nutrition, Markets, Value Addition and Consumer Uptake This section focuses on the nutritional potential, commercialization, processing, product development, consumer perceptions, value chains, and market opportunities associated with neglected and underutilized crops. The volume emphasizes the need to move opportunity crops beyond awareness and conservation toward institutionalization, commercialization, research investment, improved seed systems, processing infrastructure, market development, policy integration, and inclusion in national and regional agrifood strategies.The Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa: Book of Extended Abstracts brings together scientific, technical, policy, institutional, and market-oriented contributions presented during the Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa, convened by FAO and FARA in Accra, Ghana, from 9 to 11 June 2026. The consultation focused on repositioning indigenous, traditional, neglected, and underutilized crops as strategic assets for Africa's agrifood systems transformation. The volume examines practical pathways for integrating opportunity crops into research, breeding, seed systems, production, mechanization, markets, nutrition, education, policy, and public investment. It highlights the potential of these crops to contribute to dietary diversity, nutrition security, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, cultural preservation, and inclusive economic development. Organized into four thematic sections, the publication presents evidence and perspectives on strategic framing and institutional transformation; conservation, genetic resources, seed systems and breeding; production systems, agronomy and mechanization; and nutrition, markets, value addition and consumer uptake. Collectively, the contributions provide a multidisciplinary evidence base for translating continental commitments on opportunity crops into coordinated research, policy, investment, and scaling actions.enOpportunity CropsNeglected and Underutilized SpeciesNUSOrphan CropsForgotten FoodsIndigenous CropsTraditional CropsAgrifood SystemsAgricultural BiodiversityPlant Genetic ResourcesCrop BreedingSeed SystemsClimate ResilienceFood SecurityNutrition SecuritySustainable AgricultureValue AdditionAgricultural InnovationAgricultural PolicyAfricaBook