Opuntias are multipurpose plants that are increasingly being used in agricultural systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Due to its high water-use efficiency, it is particularly useful as forage in times of drought and in areas where few other crops can grow, and it is now considered a key component for the productivity and sustainability of these regions. This publication presents current scientific and practical information on the use of the cactus Opuntia as forage for livestock.

The Opuntia fruits, commonly known as cactus pears or prickly pears, have been suggested by the Food and Agriculture Organization to be a promising and strategic crop in regions suffering from lack of water. In Mexico, India, South Africa, and the Mediterranean, the Opuntia fruits have become popular due to their nutritive value and health-promoting benefits, including antioxidant, antiulcerogenic and antiatherogenic traits and protective effects against LDL oxidation. Additionally, readily absorbable sugars, high vitamin C and mineral content, and a pleasant flavour make Opuntia tailor-made for novel foods. Due to their ecological advantages, high functional value, and health-related traits, Opuntia fruits can be highly exploited in different food processing applications. For instance, Opuntia cactus fruits are used for the preparation of juices and marmalades; Opuntia cactus plants are used to feed animals in African and Latin American countries; Peruvian farmers cultivate Opuntia cactus for growing the cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) insect and producing the natural dye carmine; and the commercial production of food and non-food products from Opuntia has been established in Mexico, USA and several Mediterranean countries. Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications creates a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on Opuntia cactus with special emphasis on its horticulture, post-harvest, marketability, chemistry, functionality, health-promoting properties, technology and processing. The text includes detailed discussion of the impact of traditional and innovative processing on the recovery of high-added value compounds from Opuntia spp. by-products. Later chapters explore the potential applications of Opuntia spp. in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

Cactus plants are precious natural resources that provide nutritious food for people and livestock, especially in dryland areas. Originally published in 1995, this extensively revised edition provides fresh insights into the cactus plant’s genetic resources, physiological traits, soil preferences and vulnerability to pests. It provides invaluable guidance on managing the resource to support food security and offers tips on how to exploit the plant’s culinary qualities.

Organic farming does not mean going "back" to traditional (old) methods of farming. Many of the farming methods used in the past are still useful today. Organic farming takes the best of these and combines them with modern scientific knowledge. The goal was to write a book where as many different existing studies as possible could be presented in a single volume, making it easy for the reader to compare methods, results and conclusions. As a result, studies from countries such as Romania, Poland, The Czech Republic, Mexico, Slovenia, Finland, etc. have been compiled into one book. The opportunity to compare results and conclusions from different countries and continents will create a new perspective in organic farming and food production as well as help researchers and students from all over the world to attain new and interesting results in this field.

Forage cactus is a perennial crop, which has been widely exploited for feeding ruminants in the semiarid region of different countries around the world. The main objective of this chapter is to describe the use and importance of spineless cactus as forage, desertification mitigation, source of water for animals and a source of income for producers in semiarid regions. The main species explored in Brazil are Opuntia spp. and Nopalea spp., due to characteristics such as resistance to pests, productivity, water-use efficiency and demand for soil fertility. The productivity of the species in a region will depend on its morphological characteristics, plant spacing, planting systems and its capacity to adapt to climatic and soil conditions. In other parts of the world, cactus species are the most cosmopolitan and destructive among invasive plants. However, the use of spineless forage cactus in areas where it can develop normally and may become the basis for ruminants,Äô feed would increase the support capacity production systems. Thus, specifically for Brazil,Äôs semiarid region these species can make the difference as forage for animal feeding, cultivated as monoculture or intercropped, for soil conservation and desertification mitigation, source of water for animals, preservation of the Caatinga biome and be a potential source of income for producers if cultivated as vegetable for nutritional properties and medicinal derivative of fruits and cladodes for exports.