Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.)

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) represents an untapped potential for developing robust food systems. This promising but underutilized African grain legume has high nutritional qualities comparable to popular and widely consumed legumes, as well as exceptional resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition, the crop can grow on a range of soils, fix atmospheric nitrogen, and enhance soil fertility, making its production truly climate-resilient. Third to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) and cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) in terms of production and consumption in sub-Saharan Africa, Bambara groundnut is set to increase in importance as current food production systems become more diverse, and this is also evident in the steady increase in yield and area harvested across the west, east, and southern Africa over the past 25 years. Despite these relevant characteristics, the potential of Bambara groundnut in improving food systems is hindered by a lack of agricultural policy around the value chain, consistent phenological development, i.e., sensitivity to long photoperiods, and a phenomenon referred to as hard-to-cook (HTC) during poststorage processing. Over the years, research efforts have led to a more optimistic outlook for Bambara groundnut’s ability to overcome these challenges. However, a concerted policy push by African governments, with technical and financial support from regional organizations, is still required to boost research uptake to realize the crop's full potential. This chapter provides comprehensive evidence of Bambara groundnut as a “future smart food.” It details the challenges that need to be addressed and production systems thinking solutions to harness the full potential of this less-mainstream crop.