Indigenous Leafy Vegetables Research Articles

Factors Influencing Production of ILVs by Smallholder Farmers in Kisii County, Kenya

Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) are gaining popularity as a staple indigenous diet in Kenya. Most prominent farmers, however, are underestimate these vegetables despite a steadily expanding demand, as seen by a significant supply gap. ILVs costs increase faster than their exotic counterparts as demand outpaces supply, making them unaffordable for the bulk of eager consumers. The study location was Kisii County. The study is critical because it aims to gather, examine, and disseminate vital data required to achieve the Big Four agenda approved by the Kenyan Government for realizing Kenya Vision 2030. The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing the production of ILVs by smallholder farmers, in Kisii County, Kenya. The target population was smallholder farmers, traders, and consumers of the ILVs. These smallholder farmers, traders, and consumers of ILVs who live near 11 market centres of Kisii County made up the sampling group. Using Cochran's sample size calculation procedure for an unknown population, 349 responses comprised the study's sample size. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage were employed to describe the population's demographic and socioeconomic features. Inferential statistics was performed using the mean and standard deviation to examine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Data analysis involved several steps, beginning with data collection and ending with a complete presentation of the study findings. Related information was compiled during the procedure after the analysis of the data. The results indicated that ILVs benefitted smallholder farmers, traders and consumers in terms of finances and nutrition.

Exploring the determinants of indigenous leafy vegetables utilization as a development strategy for enhancing food and nutrition security in Alfred Nzo district, South Africa

Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) play a role in food security, health, and income generation. Most of these vegetables are a treasured source of vitamins and are frequently used as a supplement for staple diets. However, there are concerns regarding the determinants that condition the use of ILVs for different purposes among rural households. As much as South Africa is known to be food-sufficient at the national level, the same cannot be said at the household level. This is because some households, particularly in rural areas, have been battling with food insecurity and lacking means of earning a living. One way some rural households may seek to cope with the threat of food and nutrition insecurity is to include indigenous vegetables in their daily diets. Therefore, this study analyzed the determinants of the use of ILVs by rural households in Alfred Nzo District, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A sample of 106 rural households was considered using a simple random sampling method through a lottery technique, and cross-sectional primary data was collected using a questionnaire via face-to-face interviews. Household heads were used as units of analysis. The study used a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the determinants for different uses of ILVs. Results revealed that the age of a household head, education status, nutrition, and health benefits from ILVs positively influence the households to use ILVs as an income or food source. Household size, gender of a household head, farm income, employment status of a household head, and seasonal production or availability of ILVs negatively influenced households to use ILVs as an income or food source. The results further revealed that the age of a household head, farm income, nutrition, and health benefits from ILVs positively influenced the households to use ILVs as a medicinal or food source. On the other hand, household size, education status, employment status of a household head, and seasonal production or availability of ILVs negatively influenced households to use ILVs as medicinal or food sources. The study recommends that South Africa use public governments to encourage and create awareness of the economic and social value of ILVs and strengthen the use of ILVs in the communities, particularly vulnerable communities, and groups. Key words: Consumers, development, Eastern Cape, food security, income, indigenous, nutrition, well-being

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Electro Spectroscopic Characterisation of Some Indigenous Nigerian Leafy Vegetables as Prospective Mineral Sources In Human Diets

Minerals are nutrients that are needed in macro and micro amounts to guarantee proper body function. They are obtaineable from plant and natural sources. There has been continuous change in climatic conditions and this has resulted to low yield, pest infestation, loss of farm land, and concomitant low income generated from vegetables that are consumed regularly. The regular cuisines are becoming scarce and expensive with many households not aware of possible sources of suitable substitute to complement and supplement mineral requirements. This study examined the mineral composition of some indigenous leafy vegetables that can be consumed by humans as an alternate source of mineral. Colocasia esculenta (red Cocoyam), Laportea aestuans (L) (Tropical nettle weed), Daucus carota L (Carrot leaves), Manihot esculenta, Crantz (Cassava leaves) and Sesamum indicum (Sesame leaves) were collected and authenticated. Inductively coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry was used to analyse the mineral composition of each of the leaves. Microminerals like Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Silicon, and Zinc were present in amount sufficient to fufill the daily required intake when 100 g of the plant was consumed. Macrominerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Sodium were also observed to be in quantities able to supply the recommended daily allowance on consumption of 100 g of the plant. The plants are rich in micro and macro minerals and therefore should be explored further as prospective sources of minerals for humans.

Nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, minerals and anti-nutritional factors of indigenous leafy vegetables of eastern India

Nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, minerals and anti-nutritional factors of indigenous leafy vegetables of eastern India

Effect of Different Drying Methods on the Mineral Composition of Three Indigenous Leafy Vegetables

Leafy vegetables are known to contain high amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals which support growth and development in humans after consumption. Due to their high moisture content at stage of maturity, the rate of perishability is high. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of three drying techniques on the nutritional quality of three indigenous leafy vegetables. The experimental design was a 3x3 factorial arranged in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The factors were; leafy vegetables at three levels (Amaranthus cruentus, Celosia argentea and Laportea aestuans) and drying methods at three levels (Solar, Oven and Freeze drying). Our results showed that A. cruentus significantly (p < 0.05) had the highest phosphorus (0.79 %), potassium (2.22 %) and magnesium (1.15 %) and C. argentea recorded the least concentrations (0.40, 1.26 and 0.61 %) respectively. The concentration of calcium was in ascending order of A. cruentus < C. argentea < L. aestuans with 2.04 < 2.28 < 3.03 % respectively. Iron and zinc contents were higher in C. argentea than A. cruentus and L. aestuans. Moreover, calcium content in freeze dried vegetables with exception of C. argentea increased as compared to Solar and Oven drying. Also, the concentration of phosphorus was in ascending order of C. argentea < L. aestuans < A. cruentus with 0.44 < 0.60 < 1.04 % respectively for freeze drying. It can therefore be concluded that the three indigenous leafy vegetables are good sources of nutrients and these three drying techniques are for the preservation of their nutrients as well as preventing postharvest losses.

Responses of different growing media ratios growth performance of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) under greenhouse conditions

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) vegetables are an important constituent of the diet of rural communities worldwide. It is a suitable substitute for several indigenous leafy vegetables, as it has more or less the same texture after cooking. Consequently, growers tend to grow spinach in any soil type or mixture available to them without modifying it, leading to reduced growth performance and yields. The use of animal manure is common in South Africa and helps to improve soil fertility when used in the correct ratio mixture. Therefore, the study’s objective was to investigate which of the growing media mixture (GMM) ratios of sand, Hutton soil, and goat manure would improve the growth and yield of S. oleracea under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with 10 replicates (n=60). Six treatments comprised of different types of GMM namely, sand, Hutton soil, and goat manure at T1 (1:3:0 -control), T2 (1:2:1), T3 (1:1:1), T4 (1:1:2), T5 (2:1:2) and T6 (2:3:2), respectively. Growing media mixture had significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect on plant height (PH), number of leaves (NL), chlorophyll content (CC) and root length (RL) of S. oleracea, contributing 78, 62, 76 and 54% of the total treatment variation (TTV) in the respective variables. Relative to the control (T1), treatment T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 increased PH by 22.75 cm, 24.03 cm, 27.92 cm, 22.84 cm and 24.35 cm, respectively. Similarly, the NL in all the treatments T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 was increased by 10.90, 11.70, 11.90, 11.70 and 11.60, respectively, compared to T1. A related trend was observed in the CC, treatments T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, increased the CC by 14.99, 15.08, 26.45, 21.38 and 15.83, respectively when compared to T1. The GMM treatment T4 obtained the highest 27.92, 11.9, 26.45 and 42.38 in PH, NL, CC and RL. In conclusion, GMM T4 had a positive effect on the growth and yield of S. oleraceae, and it is recommended for use to grow the vegetable crop.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Corchorus olitorius Accessions by Simple Sequence Repeat Markers (SSR)

Indigenous leafy vegetables such as Corchorus olitorius (jew’s mallow) have potential in contributing to food security as they can provide important nutritional requirements needed for human nourishment. However, in Botswana, this plant is not yet domesticated and its utilization is minimal due to lack of knowledge. To have the crop fully domesticated it is important to document important information on the available landraces and wild species. One of the important information is understanding the variation among the available genotypes as this will help not only in domestication but also in breeding purposes. Thus this study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of 49 accessions of jews mallow collected in Botswana and other African countries. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used to characterize fourty nine accessions. The results revealed that, out of 49 SSR primer pairs used, 46 showed scorable polymorphism by producing clear amplified products. The average polymorphic loci rate was 82.44% with the lowest rate (33.33%) detected in MJM-536 and the highest was 100% recorded by 27 of the primers. The polymorphism information content (PIC) potential ranged from 0.398 for MJM-475 primer to 0.979 for the primer MJM-623 with an average of 0.719. With the Shannon diversity index, an average of 3.626 was recorded under the studied accessions and this confirmed a very high diversity. In addition, a dendrogram was generated to illustrate the genetic diversity and possible relationships among the 49 Corchorus olitorius accessions using the unweighted pair group method (UPGM) with arithmetic means. This UPGM cluster analysis distinctively divided the accessions into five (5) groups at a cophenetic correlation coefficient 0.977. The total number of accessions per cluster varied from one group to the other. These results reinforced the effectiveness of the SSR markers in discriminating individuals within species even within a narrow genetic background.

Response of Black Nightshade to Different Cropping Systems and the Effect on Physiological Parameters and Mineral Composition

In southern African countries, production of indigenous leafy vegetables is commonly practiced at home garden and/or commercial level due to their significant contribution toward eradication of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) is among African leafy vegetable (ALV) highly recognised for its pharmacological and nutritive benefits. Several research have shown that ALVs can be cultivated in the open field or greenhouses, however, little information is available on the changes of the agronomical parameters and mineral composition. The aim of the study was to compare the physiological parameters and mineral composition of nightshade grown in the open field vs. greenhouse cropping systems. The results of the study revealed high-leaf area and relative chlorophyll content in the open field conditions while plant height and the number of leaves were reportedly higher under the greenhouse system. Minerals elements such as magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, zinc, and aluminium were significantly higher in the open field cropping system, while greenhouse cultivation recorded higher sulphur and boron. Notably, no significant amount was observed in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium between open field and greenhouse system. Furthermore, a significant amount of total nitrogen was reported in the open field, however, no significant difference was observed in moisture and ash content for both cropping systems. In conclusion, black nightshade cultivated in open field provided higher leaf chlorophyll, leaf area, and trace elements compared to greenhouse cultivation while macro minerals concentration had no significant difference in both cropping systems.

A Comparative Study of the Presence of Minerals, Flavonoids and Total Phenolic Compounds in the Leaves of Common Traditional Vegetables

Indigenous leafy vegetables are used mainly for human consumption since they provide health promoting phytonutrients and bioactive compounds such as antioxidants, flavonoids, minerals and vitamins. However, the phytonutrients and bioactive compounds in the leaves of these vegetables vary widely both quantitatively and qualitatively due to genetic and environmental factors. This study determined the diversity, molecular size variation and the relationships between the minerals and nutrients. Four common leafy vegetables and one standard were used in the study. The mean iron and manganese leaf content was 279.44 mg/kg DW and 247.86 mg/kg DW, respectively. The total phenolic content ranged between 0.37 and 0.50 mg GAE/g. Nineteen different bioactive compounds, varying widely in molecular size, were detected in the four common leafy vegetables. Jute mallow leaves contained only two bioactive molecules which included quercetin-3′-glucoside. None of the eight quercetin-related derivatives that were present among the leafy vegetables were detected in Swiss chard. In cowpea, 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity was four-fold higher than in pumpkin and Swiss chard leaves. These results demonstrated that the common leafy vegetables varied widely in mineral composition and bioactive compounds, suggesting that a combination of these vegetables in the human diet can provide a wider range of nutrients.

Quality changes during storage in Thai indigenous leafy vegetable, Liang leaves (Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum) after different preparation methods

Liang or Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum, an indigenous southern vegetable has recently attracted increasing interest due to its high nutritional value, creamy taste and lack of smell. The leaves with or without stem are washed with chlorinated water at 100 ppm for 15 min, stored at 4°C and investigated for physiochemical, chemical and sensory evaluations over time. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in treatments with stems (P < 0.05). Washing significantly increased moisture content and water activity (aw) in all treatments (P < 0.05). In addition, washing resulted in significantly higher DPPH and ABTS activity (P < 0.05). However, washing and stem detachment had no effect on sensory and physicochemical qualities. The sensory score of the 8-days stored sample was comparable to the fresh one (Day 0).

An Exploration of the Consumption of Indigenous Vegetables in Informal Settlements in the West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape Province, South Africa

Problems affecting the access and consumption of indigenous vegetables in developing countries are related to a decline in cultivation and consumption. The aim of this article was to investigate the consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables in rural and informal settlements of the West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. The majority of the respondents were females (69.8%) aged 35 years or less (64.3%) and were mostly black individuals (90.7%). The majority of respondents (76.1%) had no formal education, and only 20% had a matric qualification. The most accessed crops of indigenous leafy vegetables were sweet potato (82.4%), melons (80.5%), pumpkin (77.6%) and cowpeas (46.3%). The vast majority of respondents (92.6%) consumed indigenous leafy vegetables. The consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables was associated with the ethnicity and the age of the respondents. Indigenous leafy vegetables constitute an important part of the diet of the people of this community and although they are available in local retail outlets, many people are not cultivating them in subsistence farming. It is recommended that the cultivation and consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables should be promoted in this area.

Analysing contribution and determinants of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (ILVs) to household income of rural households in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

This study aimed to analyse the determinants of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (ILVs) and their contribution to the household income of rural households in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study covered three district municipalities within the province. Multistage Sampling and Proportional Random Sampling techniques were used to select rural households, with the household heads as the unit of analysis. A sample size of 407 households was considered for the study and a questionnaire was used to collect data. Regression estimates discovered that the amount spent on ILV production and the price of ILV per kg positively influence the income generated from ILVs.

Decolonising the Zimbabwean ordinary level Food Technology and Design curriculum

Informed by the critical theory, this paper contributes to debates on decolonising education as an agenda for a heritage-driven curriculum espoused by the current Zimbabwe competence-based curriculum. It focuses on the “O” level Food Technology and Design curriculum, an area that has not been much explored. The paper challenges visible and subtle hegemonic tendencies embedded in the school curriculum, making it difficult for school graduates to identify with their heritage. Using literature review and policy documents’ analysis, it explores the place of indigenous leafy vegetables in the “O” level Food Technology and Design curriculum. Two observations are highlighted. Firstly, there is limited space provided for indigenous leafy vegetables in the “O” level Food Technology and Design curriculum. Secondly, not much has been emphasised on the nutritional value of indigenous leafy vegetables. To this end, we argue that the “O” level Food Technology and Design curriculum needs to be decolonised if more space is to be provided to indigenous leafy vegetables. To achieve this, advocacy and a deliberate shift towards the inclusion of indigenous dishes and particularly indigenous leafy vegetables in the teaching and learning of Food Technology and Design ought to be foregrounded.

Effect of Consumers’ Acceptance of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables and Their Contribution to Household Food Security

In the past decades, indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) have played a significant role in household food security, especially in poor rural households. However, ILVs have been replaced by exotic cash crops in the contemporary world. This study was conducted to assess the consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables and their contribution to household food security of households in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. The study used secondary data collected by the South African Vulnerability Assessment Committee in 2016. A total of 1520 respondents were selected using a multistage sampling method. The results from descriptive statistics revealed that most consumers did not produce ILVs but consumed them. Meanwhile, a small number of people produced ILVs yet did not consume them. The results from the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) showed that a large proportion of the population experienced moderate food security while some of the individuals within the population experienced severe food insecurity. An endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) was employed to analyze the impact of the consumption of ILVs on household food security. The results revealed that only a few variables of the consumption of ILVs were significant and positive (household size, wealth index, and ‘if the disabled person receives grants’). As a result, the consumption of ILVs had a minimal impact on the household food security of the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. The findings further revealed that age, gender, and education variables negatively influenced the consumption of ILVs. Thus, the recommended programs must be established to educate people about the importance of consuming ILVs. Agricultural extension services must equally promote the consumption of exotic cash crops and ILVs. Lastly, policies can contribute by increasing the diversity of ILVs left at retail outlets through diverse production.

English

Indigenous leafy vegetables play a significant socio-economic role for the local population. However, most of them used at the local level have not been studied a lot and their nutritional values are less implemented. This study focuses on the local nomenclature and the socio-cultural services of the species of Corchorus genus. Therefore, a collection followed by an ethnobotanical survey was carried out in 22 provinces of Burkina Faso during which a total of 450 people were surveyed. Four species of Corchorus genus, namely Corchorus olitorius, Corchorus tridens, Corchorus aestuans and Corchorus fascicularis were identified. The local names of these species vary from 1 to 4 names depending on ethnical groups. However, differentiation criteria related to status, productivity and/or preference of populations, pubescence and colour of plant are generally used to differentiate the species. All identified species are used as leafy vegetables and for the preparation of very tasty drinking (Dolo), because of their mucilage. As for medicine, 25.33% of the people surveyed gave information on illnesses such as anemia, stomach aches, and malaria treated with Corchorus genus species. Considering the socio-economic value of these species for the local population, research programs on its valorization through varietal improvement must be initiated. Key words: Corchorus, leafy vegetable, valorization, Burkina Faso.

Isolation and Identification of Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria from Commonly Consumed African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables in Kenya

African indigenous leafy vegetables (AILVs) are plants that have been part of the food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for a long time and their leaves, young shoots, flowers, fruits and seeds, stems, tubers, and roots are consumed. These vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, protein, and secondary metabolites that promote health. This study aimed at isolating, characterizing, and identifying dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from naturally fermenting commonly consumed AILV in Kenya. A total of 57 LAB strains were isolated and identified based on phenotypic and 16S rRNA gene analyses from three AILVs (23 nightshade leaves, 19 cowpeas leaves, and 15 vegetable amaranth). The highest microbial counts were recorded between 48 h and 96 h of fermentation in all AILVs ranging from approximately log 8 to log 9 CFU/mL with an average pH of 3.7. Fermentation of AILVs was dominated by twenty eight Lactobacillus spp. [Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (22), Limosilactobacillus fermentum (3), Lactiplantibacillus pentosus (2) and Lactiplantibacillus casei (1)], eleven Weissella spp. (Weissella cibaria (8), W. confusa (2), and W. muntiaci) six Leuconostoc spp. [Leuconostoc mesenteroides (3), Leuc. citreum (2) and Leuc. lactis (1)], six Pediococcus pentosaceus, four Enterococcus spp. [Enterococcus mundtii (2), E. faecalis (1) and E. durans (1)] and, finally, two Lactococcus garvieae. These bacteria strains are commonly used in food fermentation as starter cultures and as potential probiotics.

Various genetic divergence of indigenous leafy vegetable in Chhattisgarh, India: A review

Various genetic divergence of indigenous leafy vegetable in Chhattisgarh, India: A review

Nutrition knowledge, cooking practices, and consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables among households in Sagnarigu Municipality, Ghana

This study assessed nutrition knowledge, cooking practices, and consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables (IGLVs) among households in the Sagnarigu Municipality, Ghana. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect data on socio-demographics, nutrition knowledge scores, cooking practices, and consumption of IGLVs in the Sagnarigu Municipality. The study was cross-sectional, with a multi-stage sampling to select 399 respondents responsible for preparing family meals. More than half of the respondents had a low nutrition knowledge of IGLVs. Respondents with basic education were 67% (OR = 0.410, 95% CI: 0.170–0.986, p = 0.047) less likely to have high nutrition knowledge of IGLVs than those with tertiary education. Most respondents (65.7%) chopped their IGLVs before washing, and almost all (90.2%) discarded stock after cooking. Concerning the consumption of IGLVs, almost all respondents’ households consumed kenaf and jute leaves representing 90.2% and 99.5% respectively. A few of the respondents indicated that availability, low cost and high nutrient content were significant drivers in the consumption of IGLVs (27.1%, 13.3% and 8.8%, respectively). Therefore, interventions by both the government and non-governmental organisations to increase nutrition knowledge and consumption of IGLVs should include strategies to promote the production, utilisation, and commercialisation of IGLVs, especially in the Northern Region.

Prospective Role of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables as Functional Food Ingredients.

Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) play a pivotal role in sustaining the lives of many people of low socio-economic status who reside in rural areas of most developing countries. Such ILVs contribute to food security since they withstand harsher weather and soil conditions than their commercial counterparts and supply important nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, ILVs contain bioactive components such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, dietary fibre, carotene content and vitamin C that confer health benefits on consumers. Several studies have demonstrated that regular and adequate consumption of vegetables reduces risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, metabolic disorders such as obesity in children and adults, as well as cardiovascular disease. However, consumption of ILVs is very low globally as they are associated with unbalanced and poor diets, with being food for the poor and with possibly containing toxic heavy metals. Therefore, this paper reviews the role of ILVs as food security crops, the biodiversity of ILVs, the effects of processing on the bioactivity of ILVs, consumer acceptability of food derived from ILVs, potential toxicity of some ILVs and the potential role ILVs play in the future of eating.

Prospects in cultivation and utilization of spiderplant (Cleome gynandra L.) in sub-Saharan Africa: A review.

Spiderplant (Cleome gynandra L.,) exists as a semi-cultivated, indigenous leafy vegetable in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It has a natural habitat in the tropics and sub-tropics. The crop has the potential to contribute to sustainable food and nutritional security. This is due its richness in both macro- and micro-nutrients (minerals, vitamins and essential oils respectively). With its nutritional and ethnopharmacological uses, it is underutilized due to lack of awareness, promotion of production and utilization approaches globally. Globally, poor resource farmers are depending on such crops for income generation from economically fresh or dried spiderplant. Additionally, the potential contribution of spiderplant to pests and disease management can justify the need for its promotion in SSA. Spiderplant remains a primitive vegetable due to lack of the valorization units in Africa, which miss scientific information and indicators to understand how the cultivation and chemical compositions varies. Development of spiderplant in SSA requires all sectors to engage especially the breeders and consumers so that good agronomic traits can be achieved. All the biotic (response to field and storage pests and diseases) and abiotic stressors (nutrient use, salinity, drought) need to be addressed during spiderplant breeding program. Nonetheless, understanding the functional potential of spiderplant rhizosphere microbiome may promote sustainable bio-fertilizer-and-processing products in agriculture and related industries. Through value chain development, and technology transfer programs, the transformation of research efforts on spiderplant on the creation of sustainable collaboration frameworks for stakeholders in industry, innovations can be rapidly disseminated and popularized. Analysis of constraints and opportunities for orphan crops like spiderplant require the action and engagement of sectors such as farmer organizations, researchers, seed companies, traders, policy makers and consumers. This, therefore, justifies the need for promotional efforts through breeding, value chain development as well as development of national frameworks, which support orphan crops in SSA, aligning with the United Nations (UN) sustainable developmental goals (SDGs) in nutrition, health and food security. Little is known in most developing countries of SSA, on the cultivation, production, utilization and marketing of the vegetable across regions. This article examined the opportunities for the production, utilization, constraints as well as the promotional efforts of spiderplant in SSA. Key words: Cleome gynandra L., indigenous vegetable, nutrition, health, production, utilization, breeding, policies