Urbanisation and Food Insecurity Risks: Assessing the Role of Human Development

Unequal impacts of global urban-rural settlement construction on cropland and production over the past three decades

The world has experienced a rapid expansion of human settlements in both urban and rural areas in recent decades, yet the unequal impacts of this construction on global food security remain unclear. In this study, we delineated the global-scale expansion of urban-rural settlements at a fine resolution from 1985 to 2020 and quantified their uneven impacts on food security, focusing on the relationships between settlement types, cropland categories, and disparities in crop production. Our results showed that despite dramatic urbanization, rural settlements still constituted the majority of human settlement areas in 2020. Globally, cropland loss due to the expansion of rural settlements was 1.2 times greater than that caused by urbanization, while the associated yield loss was 1.5 times higher. Notably, urban-rural settlement expansion in Asia accounted for 61% of cropland loss and 64% of yield loss. Moreover, future scenarios predicted that Asia's urban-rural settlement expansion will continue to have the most significant impacts on the loss of cropland and yield throughout the 2030s. These results provide systematic evidence of the unequal impacts of urban-rural settlement construction on global cropland and food security.

Association Between Household Food Insecurity and Low Birth Weight: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health issue associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the association between household food insecurity and LBW in Mashhad, Iran. Study Design: A population-based case-control study.

METHODS

This study involved 6294 mothers (3247 cases and 3247 controls) who visited healthcare centers affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for term births between March 2019 and March 2022. Cases included women who delivered neonates weighing<2500 g, while controls delivered babies≥2500 g. Food security was measured using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Logistic regression models examined the associations between food insecurity and LBW. Geographic information system techniques mapped LBW distribution in Mashhad.

RESULTS

Household food insecurity was significantly associated with higher odds of LBW (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 1.53). Other risk factors included younger maternal age (AOR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04), lower maternal education (AOR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.71), cesarean delivery (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.06), and exposure to secondhand smoke (AOR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.75). Gestational diabetes demonstrated a protective effect (AOR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.91). Geographic mapping revealed that regions with higher food insecurity had elevated LBW prevalence.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the importance of addressing food insecurity among pregnant women to reduce the risk of LBW and improve newborn outcomes.

Water, food, and mental well-being: Associations between drinking water source, household water and food insecurity, and mental well-being of low-income pregnant women in urban Mozambique

Drinking water access and water and food insecurity have been linked to mental well-being, but few studies have comprehensively assessed potential pathways linking these associations. Understanding these mediation pathways is particularly important among pregnant women, as prenatal stress and poor mental well-being have been shown to negatively impact fetal development. In this study, we address this gap by analyzing the relationships between drinking water source and water and food insecurity with mental well-being amongst pregnant women living in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. Data for this cross-sectional analysis were collected among third-trimester, pregnant women (n=740) from February 2021 through October 2022 as part of a matched cohort study. Validated, cross-cultural measures of mental well-being and household water and food insecurity were administered in the survey. Drinking water source was determined by presence of a household drinking water source on-premises. We used logistic regression to characterize the associations between drinking water source, water and food insecurity, and mental well-being and causal mediation analysis to determine mediation by food and water insecurity along these pathways. We found evidence that water insecurity (OR 1.44; 95%CI 1.02, 2.02) and food insecurity (OR 2.27; 95%CI 1.57, 3.34) were individually associated with adverse mental well-being. Drinking water source was not associated with mental well-being (OR 1.00; 95%CI 0.71, 1.39), water insecurity (OR 0.86; 95%CI 0.60, 1.24), or food insecurity (OR 1.02; 95%CI 0.71, 1.47). Food insecurity may also mediate the relationship between water insecurity and mental well-being (ACME 0.05; 95%CI 0.02, 0.07; ADE 0.04; 95%CI -0.04, 0.13). Our findings support growing literature that water and food insecurity are important to mental well-being, a key aspect of overall health. Further research is needed to confirm causality along these pathways and determine specific mechanisms through which these interactions take place.

Ethnicity, social connectedness, and the rural-urban food continuum: Food security among urban informal settlement dwellers in Kenya

Rapid urbanization in developing countries is increasingly becoming an important development issue due to its negative effects on poverty and food insecurity in cities. This study investigated the determinants of the food insecurity gap among urban households living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, and the role of social connectedness and the rural-urban food continuum. Using panel data collected from 385 households using a two-stage cluster sample design, the study applied panel data regression and decomposition models to understand the factors affecting food insecurity access scores and weekly household food consumption expenditure. Descriptive results showed a score of 8.00 for the pooled sample on the household food access scale, with households from other regions having a lower score (7.94) than those from the Western region (8.32). 43 % of households from Western Kenya engaged in farming in rural areas (43 %) and had higher social connectedness (45 %) than households from other regions. The results indicate that dependency ratio, income, savings, social connectedness, rural visits, and dietary knowledge are significant factors impacting food security. Decomposition of levels and change in food insecurity revealed that endowments from the random effects model contributed to reducing the food insecurity gap between households originating from the Western region and those from other regions. The study highlights the importance of considering regional factors and promoting social connectedness and rural-urban linkages in addressing food insecurity in informal urban settlements.

Food and communities in post-COVID-19 cities: Case of India

While Covid-19 pandemic has affected countries across the world, the burden has been shared disproportionately by urban poor from the cities in Global South. In much of Global South, while cities have emerged as growth centers, they are mostly driven by informalities, belying the image of cities, visualized in the mainstream development economics literature as a place of secured formal jobs that free one from the drudgery of rural life. Covid-19 pandemic has exposed these fault-lines in the cities. India serves as a typical case of such urban-centric growth, with informal workers, predominated by disadvantaged social and religious categories, accounting for 81% of workers in urban space. In cities, migrant in general and seasonal migrants increasingly account for bulk of informal workforce. The lockdown imposed in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic left the community of households reliant on informal works for livelihoods, without any rights and entitlements, which affect their access to food. The review of evidence collected in both primary surveys and macro level data points towards sluggishness in recovery of jobs, which coupled with high food inflation, suggests that access to food continues to be an issue in urban governance. The paper calls for a roadmap entailing both short-term and long-term measures to build sustainable urban livelihoods for ensuring food secure urban space in India.

A home gardening intervention to improve vegetable consumption among urban poor children: A study protocol for randomised controlled trial

Background: One of the key importance of vegetable consumption is to obtain sufficient micronutrients, dietary fibre, and for the prevention of childhood obesity. Most Malaysian children did not meet the recommended intake of vegetable consumption, and this is especially vulnerable among the urban poor population due to food insecurity. Efforts are needed to promote vegetable consumption that fall short of the recommended intake level. Aim: This trial aims to examine the effectiveness of the "GrowEat" project, as a nutrition intervention programme integrated with home gardening activities to improve vegetable consumption among urban poor children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: This is a single-blinded parallel two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) that include 134 children. Two zones in Kuala Lumpur will be randomly selected, and three low-cost housing flats from each zone will be selected as the intervention and control groups respectively. The trial is designed based on the social cognitive theory (SCT). Children from the intervention group (n = 67) will attend a 12-week programme, which consists of home garden-based activities, gardening and nutrition education session. Assessment will be conducted for both groups at three time points: baseline, post-intervention and follow-up phase at 3 months after the intervention. Conclusion: We anticipate positive changes in vegetable consumption and its related factors after the implementation of the "GrowEat" project. The current intervention may also serve as a model and can be extended to other urban poor population for similar interventions in the future to improve vegetable consumption, agriculture and nutrition awareness.

So2Sat POP - A Curated Benchmark Data Set for Population Estimation from Space on a Continental Scale

Obtaining a dynamic population distribution is key to many decision-making processes such as urban planning, disaster management and most importantly helping the government to better allocate socio-technical supply. For the aspiration of these objectives, good population data is essential. The traditional method of collecting population data through the census is expensive and tedious. In recent years, statistical and machine learning methods have been developed to estimate population distribution. Most of the methods use data sets that are either developed on a small scale or not publicly available yet. Thus, the development and evaluation of new methods become challenging. We fill this gap by providing a comprehensive data set for population estimation in 98 European cities. The data set comprises a digital elevation model, local climate zone, land use proportions, nighttime lights in combination with multi-spectral Sentinel-2 imagery, and data from the Open Street Map initiative. We anticipate that it would be a valuable addition to the research community for the development of sophisticated approaches in the field of population estimation.

Prevalence of household food insecurity among a healthy Iranian population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Food security is a fundamental human right that must be upheld to preserve excellent general welfare, and mental, physical, and social health. However, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report in 2020, the level of food insecurity in the world is increasing.

Objective

Determining the prevalence of food insecurity in Iran will be beneficial for Iran and other low-middle-income countries.

Methods

We searched both English and Persian (Iranian) databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SID, Irandoc, Magiran, Civilica, and Iranian Medical Sciences Theses System from 01 January 1990 to 01 February 2022. Observational studies that reported the prevalence of household food insecurity among a healthy Iranian population and assessed food insecurity at the individual or household level using validated questionnaires were included.

Results

One hundred six studies and/or theses with a total of 152, 300 participants met the review criteria. Our analyses demonstrated that the prevalence of food insecurity among the healthy Iranian population was 55.9% (95% CI: 52.6-59.2%) and the highest prevalence of food insecurity was in the western regions with 64.8% (95% CI: 57.7-72.0%). Subgroup analyses showed that food insecurity among women at 51.3% (95% CI: 45.1-57.6%) and rural inhabitants at 66.1% (95% CI: 58.8-73.4%) was significantly higher than men at 47.8% (95% CI: 41.8-53.8%) and urban residents at 47.1% (95% CI: 44.1-50.0%), respectively. Among the age groups, the highest prevalence of food insecurity was in adults at 56.5% (95% CI: 51.7-61.2%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of food insecurity in a healthy Iranian population was higher than the global average. Women, rural residents, and residents of the western regions of Iran had a higher prevalence of food insecurity. These groups should be prioritized in programs to reduce the prevalence of food insecurity in Iran.

Systematic review registration

www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42022328473.

COVID-19 Impact on Household Food Security in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Hyderabad, India

This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and on coping-strategies in urban and peri-urban areas of the Hyderabad, India. Household survey data were collected before (October 2018) and during (January 2021) the onset of the pandemic. Results from logistic regression with the standarized Food Insecurity Expecience Scale (FIES) as dependent variable reveal that close to 40% of the households surveyed experienced a deterioration in food security status during the pandemic. In particular, we find that food security is closely related to the sector of employment in which the primary income- earning member of a household is engaged. To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their food security, our sampled households adopted a variety of consumption-smoothing strategies including availing credit from both formal and informal sources, and liquidating their savings. Compared to households with severe or moderate level of food insecurity, households facing a mild level of food insecurity relied on stored food as a strategy to smoothen consumption in response to the income shock imparted by the pandemic. In addition, the results indicate that urban households, who adopted similar coping strategies as those adopted by peri-urban households, tended to be more food-insecure. Finally, the duration of unemployment experienced during the pandemic significantly influenced the status of household food security. These findings can inform the formulation of immediate and medium-term policy responses, including social protection policies conductive to mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and ameliorating the governance of urban food security during unexpected events and shocks.

Magnitude of urban household food insecurity in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude and determinants of urban household food insecurity in East Africa.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SETTING

Studies conducted in East Africa.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventeen studies (fifteen cross-sectional and two cohort) that enrolled 156 996 households. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to search electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, African Journals OnLine, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar; date of last search: 10 June 2020) for studies reporting the prevalence and associated factors of urban household food insecurity.

RESULTS

A total of 17 studies with 156 996 households from 8 countries were used for the analysis. The pooled prevalence of urban household food insecurity in East Africa was 60·91 % (95 % CI 47·72, 74·11; I2 = 100 %; P < 0·001) where the highest (91 %) and lowest (36·5 %) was observed in Sudan and Burundi, respectively. Household head educational status (illiterate) (AOR = 2·53; 95 % CI 2·11, 2·95, I2 = 90 %; P < 0·01), female as household head (AOR = 1·45; 95 % CI 1·16, 1·75; I2 = 0·0 %; P = 0·993), large family size (AOR = 1·43; 95 % CI 1·09, 1·76, I2 = 0·0 %; P = 0·863) and poorest wealth quantile (AOR = 3·95; 95 % CI 1·93, 5·98; I2 = 57·2 %, P = 0·053) were factors which significantly increased odds of urban household food insecurity in East Africa.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of urban household food insecurity in East Africa remains high. Therefore, policies and intervention programmes should be designed to reduce the high burden of food insecurity among urban households considering the identified factors.

Appraising Agroecological Urbanism: A Vision for the Future of Sustainable Cities

By the mid-century, urban areas are expected to house two-thirds of the world’s population of approximately 10 billion people. The key challenge will be to provide food for all with fewer farmers in rural areas and limited options for expanding cultivated fields in urban areas, with sustainable soil management being a fundamental criterion for achieving sustainability goals. Understanding how nature works in a fast changing world and fostering nature-based agriculture (such as low-input farming) are crucial for sustaining food systems in the face of worsening urban heat island (UHI) effects and other climatic variables. The best fit for the context is transformative agroecology, which connects ecological networks, sustainable farming approaches, and social movements through change-oriented research and action. Even though agroecology has been practiced for over a century, its potential to address the socioeconomic impact of the food system remained largely unexplored until recently. Agroecological approaches, which involve effective interactions between researchers, policy makers, farmers, and consumers, can improve social cohesion and socioeconomic synergies while reducing the use of various agricultural inputs. This review presents a timeline of agroecology transformation from the past to the present and discusses the possibilities, prospects, and challenges of agroecological urbanism toward a resilient urban future.

Which Polish Cities Sprawl the Most

Spatial transformations stemming from urban sprawl are evident not only in the USA or Western Europe but also in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland. Urban sprawl materialises mostly in land-cover and land-use change involving an increase in the proportion of urbanised areas and discontinuous urban fabric in the total area. The paper’s objective was to identify the degree of urban sprawl based on the area of discontinuous urban fabric. The spatial analysis was aimed at finding differences in land-cover ratios by individual urbanised land categories. The analysed data for 2006, 2012, and 2018 were retrieved from the Urban Atlas. The method employed was NUASI (normalised Urban Atlas sprawl indicator). A series of computations revealed that urban sprawl is found in Poland as well. Changes caused by the increase in the discontinuous urban fabric in the total urban fabric were the most pronounced from 2006 to 2012. From 2012 to 2018, the pace of the increase stabilised, but its dynamics declined. The study demonstrated a strong spatial variability of the indicator. Urban sprawl was found to be the most intense in southern and southeastern Poland.

Why I Would Want to Live in the Village If I Was Not Interested in Cultivating the Plot? A Study of Home Gardening in Rural Czechia

Unsustainable food practices in the global North have brought a lot of attention to the concept of alternative food networks. However, prevailing research perspectives have focused on urban areas or market-related activities and tended to overlook the widespread yet neglected food growing in home gardens, especially in rural areas. This paper uses a mixed method approach to study home gardening in two villages in Czechia, focusing on the state of the art of gardening, its sustainability context, and the perception of gardening by the local citizens. We have found that the vast majority of households grow fruit and vegetables, while livestock is also present. Home grown food, which has a supplemental character, is mostly shared within networks of relatives. An understanding of food production as a part of rural identity and tradition is an important element of the perception of gardening. Our findings contribute to the rich debates about the sustainability of food systems. The paper is innovative because it steps outside of the typical poverty or food security discourse of rural informal food production, as well it reveals information on livestock breeding, discusses home gardening in the context of rural development and food policies, and emancipates the semi-peripheral locality as a regular source of new knowledge.

From individual behaviour strategies to sustainable food systems: Countering the obesity and non communicable diseases epidemic in New Zealand

New Zealand is currently facing an obesity and non communicable diseases (NCDs) epidemic. Recent studies have largely attributed these health issues to insufficient food and low-quality diets that cause micronutrient deficiencies. Improving healthy diets requires broader thinking and collaboration, particularly around maintaining sustainable food systems, which signifies a shift from individualistic/behavioural approaches in health promotion. This paper aims to extend solutions addressing increasing rates of obesity and diet-related NCDs in New Zealand while considering diet and human health in concurrence with sustainability. In particular, the three pillars of sustainability-economic, environmental, and social-will be considered, alongside application of a food systems approach to analysing the epidemic and policy developments in New Zealand. Given its proximity to smaller Pacific islands in the region, New Zealand is in a unique position to work multisectorally and be a leader in considering food system approaches to tackling obesity and NCDs in the Pacific.

The Impact of Corruption, Economic Freedom and Urbanization on Economic Development: Western Balkans versus EU-27

The topic of economic development has been addressed in recent decades from more and more points of view in order to identify the factors with significant impact on this phenomenon. Identifying the factors and measuring their impact on economic development are essential starting points for adopting the necessary public policies. Similar types of research for the Western Balkan countries and comparative analyses between the Western Balkans and the European Union countries are limited in number. Hence, the main purpose of this paper is to empirically test the impact of corruption, economic freedom, and urbanization on the economic development for both the Western Balkan countries and the EU countries for the period 2009–2018 to provide a comparative analysis for these two groups. The corruption perception index, economic freedom index, and urban population growth are chosen as independent variables, whereas the dependent variable of the human development index (HDI) represents economic development. Using the Random Effects model, which falls under the Panel Generalized Least Square method, the empirical analysis suggests that corruption has a negative impact on economic development, while economic freedom and urbanization have a positive impact on the economic development for both groups of countries. However, the impact of corruption is more destructive in the Western Balkans, and they appear to benefit more from economic freedom and urbanization as compared to the EU countries. Whether the impact of the chosen independent variables is restricted to any component of the HDI in particular is left open for further studies in the future, though the results of this paper are highly significant and in accordance with the reviewed literature.

Complementary feeding practices and associated factors among Mongolian children 6-23 months of age

Little is known about factors influencing children's dietary intake in Mongolia, a country undergoing rapid nutrition transition. Using nationally representative data from the 2017 Mongolia National Nutrition Survey, we assessed the nutritional status of children aged <2 years and examined household, maternal, and child factors associated with feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months (n = 938). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity (MDD), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD). The prevalence of child stunting (length/height‐for‐age Z‐score < −2 SD) was 6.3%, and the prevalence of overweight (weight‐for‐height Z‐score > +2 SD) was 16.8%. The prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency was 39.0% and 32.2%, respectively, and 73.5% and 85.5% of children had inadequate vitamin A and vitamin D status, respectively. Of children aged 6‐23 months, 92.1% (n = 864) had MMF, 49.6% (n = 465) had MDD, and 43.8% (n = 411) achieved MAD. Increased household wealth was positively associated with all three indicators, whereas severe food insecurity was not associated with MMF, MDD, or MAD. Older child age (odds ratio, 95% CI: 1.09 [1.06, 1.12]; p < .001) and maternal dietary diversity (odds ratio, 95% CI: 2.36 [1.67, 3.34]; p < .001) were positively associated with child MDD. Nutrition‐specific and nutrition‐sensitive efforts are needed to improve the dietary quality of infants and young children in Mongolia and reduce the high burdens of child micronutrient deficiency and overweight in the country.

Mapping Urbanization and Evaluating Its Possible Impacts on Stream Water Quality in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Using GIS and Remote Sensing

Impervious surfaces (IS) produced by urbanization can facilitate pollutants’ movement to nearby water bodies through stormwater. This study mapped and estimated the IS changes in Chattanooga, Tennessee, using satellite imagery acquired in 1986 and 2016. A model was developed utilizing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index coupled with density slicing to detect and map urbanization through IS growth. Urban growth was quantified at USGS HUC12 watershed level including stream riparian areas. The obtained results show a net growth of 45.12 km2 of IS with a heterogeneous distribution. About 9.96 km2 of this growth is within 90 m of streams, about 6% of the study site’s land cover. The Lower South Chickamauga Creek watershed experienced the largest urban growth with a change from 24.2 to 48.5 km2. Using the riparian zone percent imperviousness, a stream risk assessment model was developed to evaluate potential stream impairment due to this growth. Approximately 87, 131, and 203 km lengths of streams identified as potentially at high, very high, and extreme risks, respectively, to be impaired due to urban growth from the last 30 years. These findings would benefit to proactively implement sustainable management plans for the streams near rapidly urbanizing areas in the study site.

Spatial Analysis of Socio-Economic Driving Factors of Food Expenditure Variation between Provinces in Indonesia

Food security has become one of the global challenges; therefore, monitoring food consumption is required. As food consumption is a resultant of food availability at an affordable price, food expenditure actually is a key indicator to assess food security policy. Particularly, the link of food expenditure with socio-economic factors based on the perspective of spatial connectivity should be understood as nowadays food supply and demand between regions are increasingly connected. This study aims to define socio-economic driving factors of food expenditure that considering spatial connectivity between provinces in Indonesia. Data of household food expenditure and socio-economic factors by province including urbanization level, economic growth, gross domestic regional product (GDRP) per capita, poverty severity index, and unemployment rate were used. The preliminary test on the spatial correlation of food expenditure showed a significant result; thus, a spatial regression approach was employed. The results showed that declining food expenditure did not simply indicate increasing prosperity. Larger income disparity among the poor has become crucial to detect lower food expenditure caused by a lack of income. In addition, the increasing unemployment rate was followed by increasing food expenditure. Despite economic growth, increasing GDRP per capita and urbanization contributing to declining food expenditure, both poverty and unemployment are the main issues that threaten household’s ability to afford food. Furthermore, the effect of food expenditure in the neighboring region is also significant, but it shows a contradictory relationship as food expenditure in a region is decreasing when food expenditure in its neighbors is increasing, and vice versa. Therefore, reducing disparities in economic growth, GDRP per capita, urbanization, poverty, and unemployment rate between provinces is also crucial to support more equal food expenditure as well as to achieve the second goal of SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals) in improving food security.

Soil and Water Conservation in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Inadequate land management and agricultural activities have largely resulted in land degradation in Burkina Faso. The nationwide governmental and institutional driven implementation and adoption of soil and water conservation measures (SWCM) since the early 1960s, however, is expected to successively slow down the degradation process and to increase the agricultural output. Even though relevant measures have been taken, only a few studies have been conducted to quantify their effect, for instance, on soil erosion and environmental restoration. In addition, a comprehensive summary of initiatives, implementation strategies, and eventually region-specific requirements for adopting different SWCM is missing. The present study therefore aims to review the different SWCM in Burkina Faso and implementation programs, as well as to provide information on their effects on environmental restoration and agricultural productivity. This was achieved by considering over 143 studies focusing on Burkina Faso’s experience and research progress in areas of SWCM and soil erosion. SWCM in Burkina Faso have largely resulted in an increase in agricultural productivity and improvement in food security. Finally, this study aims at supporting the country’s informed decision-making for extending already existing SWCM and for deriving further implementation strategies.

Review: Shaping a sustainable food future by rediscovering long-forgotten ancient grains

Genetic erosion of crops has been determined way back in the 1940s and accelerated some twenty years later by the inception of the Green Revolution. Claims that the revolution was a complete triumph remain specious, especially since the massive production boost in the global big three grain crops; wheat, maize, and rice that happened back then is unlikely to recur under current climate irregularities. Presently, one of the leading strategies for sustainable agriculture is by unlocking the genetic potential of underutilized crops. The primary focus has been on a suite of ancient cereals and pseudo-cereals which are riding on the gluten-free trend, including, among others, grain amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, teff, and millets. Each of these crops has demonstrated tolerance to various stress factors such as drought and heat. Apart from being the centuries-old staple in their native homes, these crops have also been traditionally used as forage for livestock. This review summarizes what lies in the past and present for these underutilized cereals, particularly concerning their potential role and significance in a rapidly changing world, and provides compelling insights into how they could one day be on par with the current big three in feeding a booming population.