AbstractIn the context of a rapidly growing global population and significant climatic and environmental change, there is an urgent need to produce nutritious food in a sustainable manner. Some crops are underutilised in Europe, despite their suitability to local environments, viability for sustainable production and potential to improve diets. Rye (Secale cereale) has a long history of cultivation in Europe, yet is underutilised owing to complex historical, socio‐cultural, socio‐political, socio‐economic and agronomic factors. This paper explores an innovative, cross‐sectoral approach that harmonises existing datasets from archaeology, plant science, nutrition and policy, and establishes an interdisciplinary dialogue to tackle this challenge.