Officials have announced that an annual fund of $12.5 million is necessary for the execution of the "African Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan." This initiative was introduced in Kigali, coinciding with the Africa Food Systems Forum, which drew attention from over 5,000 delegates discussing agricultural advancements and food security improvements.
The plan comprises four strategic areas: rescue and conservation efforts, the generation and dissemination of seeds and information, the establishment of partnerships and enabling policies and the integration of education. Maarten van Zonneveld, the Head of Genetic Resources at the World Vegetable Centre, emphasized the program as a decade-long strategy aimed at preserving, sharing, and utilizing vegetable genetic resources to enhance nutrition, income, and climate resilience throughout Africa. He pointed out the critical state of vegetable biodiversity conservation in genebanks across the continent, with a significant number either lacking or not fully operational.
A pilot initiative, supported by the Taiwan Africa Vegetable Initiative from 2021 to 2024, focused on the collection of over 17,000 vegetable varieties from Benin, Eswatini, Madagascar, and Tanzania. This effort led to the establishment and improvement of five African genebanks and the training of 174 genebank staff members, targeting malnutrition and poverty.
In Rwanda, the conversation around preserving indigenous vegetables is spearheaded by Birungi Korutaro, CEO of Kilimo Trust. She highlighted the challenges in the vegetable farming sector, particularly in seed systems, and advocated for regenerative agricultural practices and educational programs on the importance of vegetables for nutritional health.
Dany Hakizimana, an agronomist with Agrah Care, proposed the creation of a center dedicated to the conservation and propagation of vegetable species to prevent their extinction.
Source: The New Times