Ensuring a healthier Africa demands a smart, sustainable food system to deliver diets rich in nutritious, plant-based foods. Traditional vegetables can contribute to food systems that nourish people, not merely feed them. Africa is home to a large number of plant species with the potential to invigorate the continent’s horticultural value chain – yet these traditional vegetables remain untapped and underutilized.
Traditional vegetables support nutrition-sensitive agriculture under climate change. They generally are more nutrient-dense than most commercial vegetable crops, have lower water requirements, are adapted to poor soils, and have higher resistance to pests and diseases. The biodiversity of traditional vegetables is endangered by displacement with high-energy staple crops. Most traditional vegetables are not registered in national catalogues, lack promotion and support for their use, and lack conservation infrastructure. Success stories like African eggplant, okra and amaranth show research and breeding can convert underutilized traditional vegetables into commercially successful crops. Other traditional vegetables could take a similar path if research unlocks their potential for income generation and nutrition for the benefit of local resource-poor populations.
