Researchers believe jackfruit could be a replacement for wheat, corn and other staple crops which are threatened by rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall brought about by climate change.

An article in The Guardian explains how jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) – the largest known tree-borne fruit - which is grown across south and south-east Asia is high in nutrients and calories.

"If you just eat 10 or 12 bulbs of this fruit, you don't need food for another half a day," says Shyamala Reddy, a biotechnology researcher at the University of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore, India.

While Sri Lanka and Vietnam have established jackfruit industries, in India (where the tree originated) it is viewed as a poor man’s fruit, contrary to 40-50 years ago when it was seen as an important staple.

In May 2014 an international conference on jackfruit will be held in Bangalore, spurred on by efforts of the Indian government to promote the crop by expanding its use as a canned vegetable and processed food.

Commenting on the article, Cathy Watson from the World Agroforestry Centre, says “while no one tree species can be a magic bullet for problems as complex as hunger, trees play an absolutely critical role in food security and in sustaining agriculture”.

Watson outlines how jackfruit has an important role in diets in Sri Lanka; the seeds are ground for flour, the flesh cooked in curries and ripe fruit eaten as a dessert.

Read the full story: Jackfruit heralded as 'miracle' food crop

See also: Field manual on Jackfruit produced by the World Agroforestry Centre.