Prickly but tasty? UN agency says cactus have 'much to offer' as food
Cactus plants could become a very important crop in the 21st century, according to the United Nations food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
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The FAO said on Thursday it published a book with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) advocating the large-scale cultivation of the plant.
Projected pressure on water resources in the future make cactus "one of the most prominent crops for the 21st century," ICARDA researcher Ali Nefzaoui was quoted as saying by the FAO.
Thanks to their resilience, the prickly desert plants could play a part as a "useful food of last resort" in dry countries hit by climate change, FAO noted.
In addition, the water they store in their pads makes them "a botanical well that can provide up to 180 tonnes of water per hectare - enough to sustain five adult cows," the UN agency added.
"During the recent intense drought in southern Madagascar, cactus proved a crucial supply of food, forage and water for local people and their animals," the FAO said.
The UN agency said that while most cacti are inedible, the Opuntia species has "much to offer" as a crop, and noted that the plant is already commonly cultivated in Brazil, North Africa and Ethiopia.
Furthermore, "the plant's culinary qualities [have been known] for centuries in its native Mexico and [it] is now a well-entrenched gourmet tradition in Sicily." (dpa)
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