From thorny to tasty: UN looking at cactus as climate resilient food

The United Nations  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for the prickly cactus to be upgraded to an essential crop. In many regions, this cactus resists drought and thrives in degraded soils and higher temperatures. Once thought of as an invasive species, prickly cactus provides much relied upon food and water to people in Madagascar exposed to extreme drought. The crop produces enough water to support five adult cows; in addition, when barley is grown with the cactus and eaten by cattle, it reduces methane production.

Read full article: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2017/11/thorny-tasty-un-agriculture-agency-looking-cac...