Harnessing Africa's Vegetable Heritage: Introducing the African Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan (2025‒2035)

The African Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan aims to combat hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and climate change by preserving and utilizing Africa's vegetable biodiversity. This initiative, aligned with global and regional policies, focuses on rescuing and conserving diverse vegetable species across sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring their active use by farmers and researchers. By boosting the production and consumption of nutrient-rich vegetables, especially in school feeding programs and homestead farming, the plan supports the UN SDGs of zero hunger, poverty reduction, and climate action. It also addresses the urgent need to safeguard valuable genetic diversity, particularly in identified biodiversity hotspots, amidst challenges like climate change and land use shifts. This plan, endorsed by the African Union, is a crucial part of the Global Rescue Plan introduced at the 2021 UN Food System Summit.

Categories: For Partners, Nutritional Security