Abstract
Traditional African Vegetables (TAV) play an important role in the livelihoods, food and nutritional security of local populations. Access to high-quality seeds of improved varieties is a foundation for increasing crop productivity. TAV seed systems have received little attention. We systematically reviewed the literature to assess the sustainability (seed quality, availability, accessibility, affordability, and profitability of seed businesses) of TAV seed systems in Eastern Africa. The review revealed that the private sector mediated seed system (i.e., formal) offered higher potential for seed quality, and profitability for seed growers. The community-based seed system showed higher potential in ensuring a better access to seeds. The quality of TAV seeds was partially addressed in the studies with a focus on germination percentage and purity, which varied across systems, crops, and geography. While there was a trend of poorer seed quality in the informal system, seed quality in the formal and community-based systems was not necessarily better. The affordability of seed from the various systems (private sector mediated, community based and informal) needs further investigation. Because TAV seed systems are localized and differ significantly among and within countries, tailored interventions are required when promoting a given TAV seed system. We identified inter-regional gaps in TAV seed systems studies, with all the studies concentrated in Eastern Africa, mainly in Tanzania and Kenya. Filling these gaps will require more investment in other regions in sub-Saharan Africa to document existing initiatives or initiate interventions seeking to promote access to high-quality TAV seeds. This review sheds light on existing gaps in research on TAV seed systems to guide future interventions.
Highlights
Food and nutritional insecurity are a significant concern in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where 57% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet (FAO, 2020)
Traditional African Vegetables (TAV) are “plant species that are indigenous or naturalized to Africa, well adapted to or selected for local conditions, whose plant parts are used as a vegetable, and whose modes of cultivation, collection, preparation, and consumption are deeply embedded in local cuisine, culture, folklore, and language” (Towns and Shackleton, 2018)
In Western Kenya, the informal seed system failed to ensure year-round seed availability for TAV, including amaranth, spider plant, and slender leaf (Pincus et al, 2018). These findings showed that the availability of TAV seed is contextdependent, and private sector mediated and community-based seed systems tend to contribute to improved seed availability (Datasheet 1)
Summary
Food and nutritional insecurity are a significant concern in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where 57% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet (FAO, 2020). TAV [(e.g., amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), African eggplant (Solanum spp.)] are micronutrient-dense and provide nutritional balance to diets among populations whose main staple food is carbohydrate-based (FAO, 2020). The promotion of sustainable production and consumption of TAV is widely recognized as an effective strategy to contribute to diet diversification and to improve nutrition and food security in developing countries (Grubben et al, 2014; Keatinge et al, 2014, 2015; Ojiewo et al, 2015; Ochieng et al, 2018). Leafy TAV have relatively shorter production cycles (about 30 days for some species) and can be less risk-prone than staple crops, which tend to be more vulnerable to environmental stressors (Ojiewo et al, 2015)
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