Inclusion of quinoa in cropping systems for ensuring food and nutrition security in drought prone semi-arid regions: An energy-water-carbon-food nexus approach

Establishing a circular economy in agri-food systems minimizes energy, water, and carbon inputs while boosting crop production efficiency, crucial for sustainable development goals in production, consumption, and economic growth. Hence, a study was conducted assessing inclusion of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a climate-resilient nutritious crop, in existing cropping systems to reduce energy consumption and environmental footprints while boosting system productivity and profitability. The study findings revealed that intercropping of chickpea and quinoa exhibited two to five times higher system productivity over conventional legume mono-cropping systems, with net-returns reaching US $ 1015.52 ha-1. This system also achieved maximum energy output (35293.95 MJ ha−1) and net energy (25989.27 MJ ha−1) by conserving nitrogen fertilizer, water, manpower, and fossil fuels and demonstrated superior energy efficiency (3.79) with minimal specific energy (4.29 MJ kg−1). Further, it significantly reduced water and carbon footprints, saving 1–5 times more water and 1–3 times more carbon than traditional legume systems. Quinoa monocropping also showed high efficiency in energy, water, and carbon use, yielding greater net returns. Despite being relatively new to Indian agriculture with certain challenges, quinoa offers promising benefits for food, nutrition and environment security, making it ideal for climate-smart cropping systems in drought-prone semi-arid regions.