Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica): the 5F crop for food, feed, fuel, fashion, and fertilizer enhancing sustainability in arid regions

Abstract

The cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) has gained increasing attention for its remarkable versatility as a “5F crop”, providing food, feed, fuel, fashion (bio-leather), and fertilizer. Adapted to arid and semi-arid regions, cactus pear is highly resilient to harsh environmental conditions, making it a promising candidate for sustainable agriculture. Despite its multifaceted potential, comprehensive assessments of its applications across these five domains and broader implications for food security and resource efficiency remain limited. This review systematically explores the role of OFI as a 5F crop and its impact on sustainable development in arid regions. Literature searches were conducted using multiple databases, search engines, and specialist websites to gather data on OFI across different sectors – agriculture, energy, textiles, and environmental sustainability. Articles were screened for relevance using predefined criteria, and bias was minimized through critical appraisal of the evidence. Data were extracted on various outcomes such as nutritional value, biomass yield, biofuel potential, textile applications, and soil enhancement properties. Comparative analyses were performed to evaluate the crop’s effectiveness in each of the five domains. Over 15,000 studies were identified, with 210 selected based on relevance and critical appraisal. Among the findings, cactus pear was shown to significantly contribute to food security through its high nutrient content, while its use as livestock feed reduced grazing pressure on natural rangelands, especially in arid regions. The biomass generated from cladodes was highlighted as a renewable energy source for biofuel production. In the fashion industry, cactus-derived fibers offered a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials. Furthermore, the resulting digestate from biofuel production serves as a biofertilizer, enhancing soil properties and crop productivity. Our review provides a comprehensive analysis of cactus pear’s multi-dimensional benefits, emphasizing its potential to enhance food and feed security, renewable energy, sustainable fashion, and soil health.