Urtica Spp.: From Underutilized Crop Towards Sustainability

Sustainability of agricultural systems has become an important issue throughout the world. The need to balance environmental quality, human needs and economic stability is often referred to as “the three pillars of sustainability”. Nettle is one of the most widely distributed wild plants, found in all regions of the temperate zones, growing in all seasons, and having ethnobotanical importance as a wild plant. Cultivation of this underutilized crop has potential to be valuable food, medicine source, organic fertilizer and carbon sink in addition to its economic advantages. It needs further expanded and assisted by agricultural extensions to be part of management strategies in tackling food and environment insecurity.