Nutritional values and medicinal uses of cactus pear and agro-industrial development

Cactus plants are multipurpose crops. Fruits and cladodes provide energy and nutrients for both humans and livestock, but they are also rich sources of health-promoting substances that can be used as natural medicines to prevent and cure serious diseases. A wide range of products and by-products can be derived too to exploit the plant's culinary qualities. On 22 November 2021, FAO-ICARDA CactusNet hosted a new webinar on “Nutritional values and medicinal uses of cactus pear and agro-industrial development” to raise awareness of cactus pear’s nutritional and beneficial health aspects for consumption. The webinar was part of a series held under the Technical Network on Sustainable Crop Production and Agroecology at the occasion of the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables (IYFV) 2021, and contributed to the new FAO Strategic Framework in promoting better nutrition, better production, a better environment and a better health for all.