From Discard to Resource: Unlocking the Environmental and Nutritional Value of Bambara Groundnut Waste

Global food security is increasingly threatened by population growth, environmental degradation, and climate change, making resilient and nutrient-rich alternative crops like Bambara groundnut vital. This underutilized legume, native to sub-Saharan Africa, boasts drought tolerance and nitrogen-fixing properties, offering a valuable asset for food and nutrition security. However, its processing generates substantial waste, contributing to environmental harm and greenhouse gas emissions through current disposal methods like landfilling and open burning. This review explores integrated valorization pathways for Bambara groundnut waste, transforming these discards into valuable commodities and aligning with circular economy principles. Key pathways include bioenergy produc-tion (biogas and bioethanol), soil amendments (compost and biochar), bio-based materials (bioplastics and adsorbents), and nutrient extraction (dietary fiber, proteins, and bioactive compounds). While similar initiatives for other legume wastes show promising environ-mental, nutritional, and economic benefits, widespread adoption faces technical, eco-nomic, regulatory, and socio-cultural challenges. Overcoming these necessitates collabo-rative efforts encompassing supportive policy measures, dedicated research, strong stakeholder partnerships, and effective community education, ultimately realizing op-portunities for sustainable development, enhanced food systems, and economic empow-erment within Africa's agricultural sector.