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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] A “Revolution of Greens” Needed to Curb Food Price Crisis
  • Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:14:52 -0600


A “Revolution of Greens” Needed to Curb Food Price Crisis
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/a-revolution-of-greens-needed-to-curb-food-price-crisis-abdou-tenkouano-avrdc-the-world-vegetable-center-state-of-the-world-2011/

Food prices have soared to record highs and are projected to increase further
in the coming decade, pushing millions of people into hunger — and fueling
political unrest around the world.
vegetable market niamey niger AVRDC World Vegetable Center Nourishing the
Planet State of the World 2011

Diversifying food production to include local and indigenous vegetables can
help communities boost their self-sufficiency and protect vulnerable
populations from price shocks. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)

But diversifying food production to include local and indigenous vegetables
can help communities boost their self-sufficiency and protect vulnerable
populations from price shocks.

Abdou Tenkouano, director of AVRDC- The World Vegetable Center’s Regional
Center for Africa in Tanzania, highlights important policy recommendations in
his chapter, “The Nutritional and Economic Potential of Vegetables,” in the
recently published State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the
Planet. The accompanying policy brief is available here.

Vegetables can offer a sustainable solution for a diverse and balanced diet.
Growing vegetables can help address the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient
deficiencies that affects some 1 billion people worldwide, and also brings
multiple benefits for farmers. “Vegetables have shorter cycles, are
faster-growing than cereal crops, and require little space,” says Tenkouano.

Here are three recommendations to boost worldwide interest in and
availability of indigenous vegetable varieties:

Listen to farmers. Organizations like AVRDC and the International Development
Research Centre hold periodic workshops and field days, bringing together
farmers, consumers, businesses, and communities to identify varieties of
onion, tomato, eggplant, and okra that grow the best, taste the best, and
perform best at local markets. This helps researchers develop more nutritious
and locally adapted varieties that enhance and complement specific food
preparations.

Get seeds to farmers. The seeds of preferred vegetable varieties are being
made more widely available in Africa and elsewhere. Better seeds mean more
vitamins in the food, better-tasting food, and ultimately less hunger and
malnutrition. After scientists at AVRDC developed two higher-yielding tomato
varieties with thicker skins—making them less vulnerable to pests and
damage—farmers growing these varieties raised their incomes by 40 percent.

Take advantage of what’s local. As the impacts of climate change become more
evident, indigenous vegetables that have been neglected for decades are
regaining attention because of their tolerance to drought and resistance to
pests. Researchers have developed improved varieties of amaranth, African
eggplant, African nightshade, and cowpea that are now widely available in
many parts of Africa. In Uganda, Project DISC (Developing Innovations in
School Cultivation), supported by Slow Food International, is reigniting an
interest in these foods by teaching students how to grow and cook indigenous
vegetables.

Investing in agricultural development, especially indigenous vegetable crops,
could help feed communities in Africa and worldwide, boosting their
resilience to price shocks while helping farmers protect biodiversity and
mitigate the impacts of climate change.

To learn more about how AVRDC is working with farmers to diversify food
production, see: Breeding Vegetables with Farmers in Mind, The Nutritional
and Economic Potential of Vegetables, Listening to Farmers, Cultivating food
security in Africa, Transforming Vegetables into Products, NtP in Tanzania’s
The Citizen, and Innovation of the Week: Homegrown Solutions to Alleviating
Hunger and Poverty.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet
please click HERE.





  • [Livingontheland] A “Revolution of Greens” Needed to Curb Food Price Crisis, Tradingpost, 06/20/2011

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