Nowadays climate change is one of the biggest challenges that humanity has to face, in the future prolonged droughts and desertification are the subjects – among others-, that will address several countries, specifically Africa and Asia, where farmers and small producers of low income will become seriously affected. If people want to survive on these harsh conditions, their crops must need to tolerate drought, high temperatures and poor soils.
Cacti interest around the world has grown with special focus on nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) because of its unique characteristics, which provides it with resilience towards the limiting conditions previously mentioned. The nopal is capable of growing on land where other crops won’t prosper. It can be used for the restoration of degraded land in many countries, it is the only crop which can be trust where all the others have failed. This plant by its own right should be among the miracles of nature. The cultivation of nopal was originated in Mexico which is still the main producer and consumer in the world.
The increase of nopal plantations can be a strategy to relieve the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. Nopal plantations can be used as water and carbon reserves on arid and semi-arid regions where climate is erratic.
