Underutilised legumes in regenerative agriculture: Implications for food and nutritional security – A review

• Addressing Global Agricultural Challenges: Regenerative agriculture offers solutions to critical issues such as climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable land management. • Role of Legumes in Regenerative Agriculture: Leguminous plants are crucial for their nitrogen-fixing properties, which enhance soil fertility and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. • Nutritional and Health Benefits: Legumes are rich in proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and play a role in preventing chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. • Innovations in Legume Processing: Techniques such as fermentation and sprouting improve nutrient bioavailability and reduce anti-nutritional factors, enhancing the usability of legumes in diets. • Importance of Underutilized Legume Species: Species like Bambara groundnut, pigeon pea, winged bean, and grass pea have potential to improve food security in marginalized areas and mitigate climate change impacts. Global food systems face mounting challenges from climate change, soil degradation, and population growth, threatening food security and environmental sustainability. Regenerative agriculture, emphasizing soil health and biodiversity, offers a promising solution, with leguminous crops playing a central role. These plants, notably underutilized species such as Vigna subterranea (Bambara groundnut) and Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea), fix atmospheric nitrogen, enhancing soil fertility and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Rich in proteins, dietary fibre, and micronutrients, legumes bolster nutritional security, particularly in regions with limited access to animal-based proteins. This review comprehensively examines the ecological, nutritional, and socioeconomic contributions of legumes in regenerative agriculture, focusing on their potential to foster climate-resilient food systems. It quantifies their benefits, including nitrogen fixation rates up to 200 kg/ha and yield increases of 25% in crop rotations. The nutritional profile of legumes, including 18-40% protein content and bioactive compounds, supports the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Advances in processing techniques, such as fermentation and enzyme-assisted extraction, enhance nutrient bioavailability while mitigating anti-nutritional factors like phytic acid. Underutilized legumes, adapted to marginal environments, hold untapped potential to diversify diets and strengthen food security in climate-vulnerable regions. However, challenges such as limited market access and consumer awareness persist. This review advocates for increased research into biofortified varieties, sustainable processing, and policy incentives to integrate legumes into circular food systems, ensuring global nutritional security and environmental sustainability.