Underutilized plants are those species with under-exploited potential for contributing to food security, health (nutritional/medicinal), income generation and environmental services.
Underutilized plant species have a potential, not fully exploited, to contribute to food security and poverty alleviation. Promotion of their use should be done in a sustainable fashion. The range of these species covered is wide, including plants that provide edible fruits, grains, leaves, nuts, oils, roots and tubers, fibres, medicines, spices, stimulants and other products. In human history, 40-100,000 plant species have been regularly used for food, fibers, industrial, cultural and medicinal purposes. Today, only 30 plant species are used to meet 95% of the world's food energy needs.
Exploration of underutilized plants is being done to increase our resource base.