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The World Vegetable Centre in Tanzania carries out a variety of activities to increase the cultivation of indigenous food crops. These include the development of new and improved varieties and training for farmers in cultivation and processing. While visiting the Centre?s experimental plots, Laza...

Judith Kimiywe, a nutritionist from Kenyatta University, believes that traditional vegetables are an ideal solution for the micronutrient deficiencies that are a common cause of poor health. Leafy vegetables like spider weed, sweet potato and cassava leaves, and other food plants picked from the ...

Four scientists working in Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda and Sri Lanka comment on why they believe many indigenous African crops became neglected and forgotten. This may have been because they were difficult to process, or because of the promotion of exotic species. With new technologies, processing pro...

The baobab tree has been used by man as a source of food and other materials for tens of thousands of years. In some parts of Africa, such as northern Ghana, the leaves, seeds and fruit pulp are a vitamin rich supplement to diets, particularly during the hungry season. The roots are also valued f...

Every country has its national treasures. In this interview, Jackie Hughes of the World Vegetable Centre highlights the value of some food plant species, which she believes are treasures, but which have been neglected. These include plants such as amaranth, which can grow in marginal areas but wh...

Amaranth is widely regarded as an unwanted and stubborn weed, food for the poor during hungry periods. It is, however, a highly nutritious and tasty plant. Recently, the Kenya Seed Company has released an improved variety of amaranth which matures in just 2-3 months, has a long harvesting period ...

Traditional crops often have cultural significance beyond their value as a source of food. In southern Africa, marula fruit are traditionally harvested by women, and there are special ceremonies during the harvesting season. In northern Ghana, yams have cultural and spiritual significance and are...

A journalist from Kampala and a researcher from Malawi visit Arusha?s Kilombero market. They are amazed by the variety and quantity of traditional African vegetables being sold here. They compare the market with the situation in their own countries, where many of the same plants are eaten, but th...

Devil?s Claw is a desert growing plant that is now in demand for the medicinal properties of its roots. Traditionally used by people in Namibia, demand in Europe is leading to over-harvesting, not least because the plant is very slow growing, making the establishment of commercial production very...

Mama Ndelifose Nanyaro explains how growing and eating indigenous African vegetables, such as okra, eggplant, cowpeas and pumpkins, has made her life better. She looks and feels young and strong, despite being 60 years old, and she is proud that she can afford to pay school and hospital fees when...