Images provided by University of Nairobi research team
A team of researchers from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), in collaboration with the University of Nairobi and North Carolina State University, is implementing a 3.5-year project titled: Enhancing Productivity, Post-harvest Management and Market Access of African Indigenous Vegetables in Kenya. Funded by USAID through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture and coordinated by the International Centre for Evaluation and Development—the host organization for the Horticulture Innovation Lab’s East Africa Regional Hub—, the project focuses on the African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) which are critical for food, nutrition, and income security in Kenya.
These nutrient-rich crops are particularly important for vulnerable populations, offering high levels of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals while requiring fewer inputs, and they are better adapted to local agroecological conditions. Incorporating AIVs into diets can help address malnutrition-related problems, including stunting, anaemia, and vitamin deficiencies while promoting overall well-being. AIVs include species such as amaranth (Amaranthus ssp), African nightshade (Solanum nigrum), spider plant (Cleome gynandra), cowpea leaves (Vigna unguiculata), pumpkin leaves (Cucurbia maxima, C. pepo), and jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius). Despite their benefits, AIVs are often overlooked in favor of exotic vegetables. This project aims to boost AIV production, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve market access, especially for smallholder women and youth farmers, ultimately enhancing incomes and nutrition.
Part of the research team, based at the University of Nairobi and led by Prof. Richard Nyankanga is working to identify high-yielding, nutritious AIV varieties with extended shelf lives. They are also evaluating the nutritional and bioactive components of selected landraces. Fieldwork in Kisii and Kakamega counties has resulted in the collection of 200 AIV landraces, with screening and characterization of these varieties already underway at the University of Nairobi, both in open fields and greenhouses. Additionally, baseline surveys have been completed in Kisii and Vihiga counties to better understand the factors influencing AIV production and marketing in the target areas.
Successful interventions for the promotion of AIVs require collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, NGOs, farmers' associations, and private businesses. Through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and joint efforts, interventions can be designed and implemented more effectively. Public-private partnerships can facilitate technology transfer, investment, and market development. The involvement of farmers and local communities in decision-making processes and the implementation of interventions is crucial for ensuring sustainability and ownership.
This initiative is set to transform the landscape of AIVs in Kenya, empowering smallholder farmers—especially youth and women—through increased productivity, reduced post-harvest losses and improved market access. By promoting the cultivation and consumption of AIVs, local communities can enhance their food security, reduce dependency on imported vegetables, and protect biodiversity by preserving indigenous crop varieties.
The University of Nairobi research team began by collecting various landraces* of popular indigenous vegetables from different agroecological zones in the Kisii and Kakamega counties, which they would evaluate for yield and nutritional content and keeping qualities in field and greenhouse trials at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
