Bridging biodiversity and food systems: A nationwide synthesis of non-conventional food plants (PANCs) in Brazil
5 affiliations
- 1Postgraduate Program of Food Technology (PPGTA), Federal University of Technology - Paraná (UTFPR), Campo Mourão 87301-005, Brazil
- 2Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology - Paraná (UTFPR), Campo Mourão 87301-005, Brazil
- 3Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
- 4Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France
- 5Postgraduate Program of Technological Innovations (PPGIT), Federal University of Technology - Paraná, Campo Mourão 87301-005, Brazil
Abstract
The increasing erosion of agrobiodiversity and the growing demand for sustainable food systems have intensified interest in non-conventional food plants (PANCs, a term originally proposed in Brazil) as strategic resources for enhancing food security, biodiversity conservation, and rural livelihoods. In Brazil, PANCs are deeply embedded in socioecological systems and traditional knowledge. However, existing studies remain fragmented, region-specific, and lack integrative analyses at the national scale. This study aims to provide a nationwide synthesis of PANCs in Brazil, analyzing their distribution, uses, and socioecological roles across five macro-regions, and evaluating their contributions to sustainable food systems. A structured narrative review was conducted using systematic search principles across Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Google Scholar, covering 2000–2024. Studies were selected using defined criteria, and 145 species were compiled. Analyses combined descriptive statistics with qualitative socioecological interpretation of ecological, cultural, and territorial dynamics. Results reveal strong regional heterogeneity. The North and Northeast regions have strong links to traditional knowledge, supporting food security and climate adaptation. Southeast and South reflect revalorization driven by markets and agroecology. Central-West highlights tensions between intensification and conservation. PANCs exhibit multifunctionality, contributing to nutrition, ecosystem services, and livelihoods, but face barriers, including limited knowledge and weak value chains. This study provides the first nationwide synthesis of non-conventional food plants (PANCs) in Brazil, bridging biodiversity and food systems through an integrated socioecological perspective. It highlights PANCs as strategic leverage points for inclusive, diversified, and climate-resilient food systems. Furthermore, the findings support their integration into public policies, including school feeding programs and institutional procurement initiatives, strengthening their role in promoting food security, rural development, and biodiversity conservation. • Maps 145 Brazilian PANCs across regions and biomes. • Links edible biodiversity to policy-relevant food-system outcomes. • Identifies policy gaps: regulation, procurement, safety, value chains. • Proposes actions to connect biodiversity with sustainable food policies. • Evidence to integrate PANCs into school meals and public procurement.
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BibTeX
@article{costa2026bridging,
title = {{Bridging biodiversity and food systems: A nationwide synthesis of non-conventional food plants (PANCs) in Brazil}},
author = {Gustavo Barreto Costa and Luiz Henrique Silva Lopes and Karina Pinheiro Martins and Nathália Letícia Hernandez Brito and Jhony Silva Ramos and Ana Caroline Silvestre Barbosa Alessi and A. Silva and Taís Araújo Santos and Ornella Monique Pereira Ferri and Maria João de Almeida Coelho de Sousa and Sandrina Alves Heleno and Douglas Neil Rutledge and Flávia Aparecida Reitz Cardoso},
journal = {Agricultural Systems},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104782},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104782},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Bridging biodiversity and food systems: A nationwide synthesis of non-conventional food plants (PANCs) in Brazil
AU - Gustavo Barreto Costa
AU - Luiz Henrique Silva Lopes
AU - Karina Pinheiro Martins
AU - Nathália Letícia Hernandez Brito
AU - Jhony Silva Ramos
AU - Ana Caroline Silvestre Barbosa Alessi
AU - A. Silva
AU - Taís Araújo Santos
AU - Ornella Monique Pereira Ferri
AU - Maria João de Almeida Coelho de Sousa
AU - Sandrina Alves Heleno
AU - Douglas Neil Rutledge
AU - Flávia Aparecida Reitz Cardoso
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/16
JO - Agricultural Systems
DO - 10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104782
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104782
AB - The increasing erosion of agrobiodiversity and the growing demand for sustainable food systems have intensified interest in non-conventional food plants (PANCs, a term originally proposed in Brazil) as strategic resources for enhancing food security, biodiversity conservation, and rural livelihoods. In Brazil, PANCs are deeply embedded in socioecological systems and traditional knowledge. However, existing studies remain fragmented, region-specific, and lack integrative analyses at the national scale. This study aims to provide a nationwide synthesis of PANCs in Brazil, analyzing their distribution, uses, and socioecological roles across five macro-regions, and evaluating their contributions to sustainable food systems. A structured narrative review was conducted using systematic search principles across Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Google Scholar, covering 2000–2024. Studies were selected using defined criteria, and 145 species were compiled. Analyses combined descriptive statistics with qualitative socioecological interpretation of ecological, cultural, and territorial dynamics. Results reveal strong regional heterogeneity. The North and Northeast regions have strong links to traditional knowledge, supporting food security and climate adaptation. Southeast and South reflect revalorization driven by markets and agroecology. Central-West highlights tensions between intensification and conservation. PANCs exhibit multifunctionality, contributing to nutrition, ecosystem services, and livelihoods, but face barriers, including limited knowledge and weak value chains. This study provides the first nationwide synthesis of non-conventional food plants (PANCs) in Brazil, bridging biodiversity and food systems through an integrated socioecological perspective. It highlights PANCs as strategic leverage points for inclusive, diversified, and climate-resilient food systems. Furthermore, the findings support their integration into public policies, including school feeding programs and institutional procurement initiatives, strengthening their role in promoting food security, rural development, and biodiversity conservation. • Maps 145 Brazilian PANCs across regions and biomes. • Links edible biodiversity to policy-relevant food-system outcomes. • Identifies policy gaps: regulation, procurement, safety, value chains. • Proposes actions to connect biodiversity with sustainable food policies. • Evidence to integrate PANCs into school meals and public procurement.
SN - 0308-521X
SN - 1873-2267
ER -