A delegation from the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS), led by USDA-ARS Administrator Dr Simon Liu, visited WorldVeg headquarters on 8 March 2023. Simon Liu heard of World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) a long time ago, but this was his first visit, and HQ staff were delighted to introduce him and his team to the colourful world of vegetables.

He was accompanied by USDA colleagues Dr Marlen Eve (Deputy Director General) and Mr Derek Thor Cary (International Affairs Specialist); Officials and Researchers from the Council of Agriculture (COA), Taiwan, Dr Dennis Wang (Director, Department of International Affairs) and Dr Hsueh-Shih Lin (Director of Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute). Professor Dr John Lea-Cox from Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Maryland University, USA, also joined. The visitors were briefed on WorldVeg activities by Dr Marco Wopereis (WorldVeg Director General), including a tour of the genebank.

The USA and WorldVeg have a long history. The USA was one of seven signatories of the Charter establishing the Center in 1971. USDA and WorldVeg also built early links focusing on germplasm exchange, with USDA providing WorldVeg with valuable mungbean and soybean accessions.

Dr Liu spoke highly of the work and vitality of WorldVeg and the impact the Center has had in low-income countries. He said he is looking forward to more collaboration between genebanks to further seed conservation, characterization and information sharing. He suggested that WorldVeg continue to share more evidence of the importance of vegetables for healthy diets.

Dr Lea-Cox was impressed by the WorldVeg mission — to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier diets and more resilient livelihoods. He said Maryland University could partner with WorldVeg to work in particular on stimulating vegetable production and consumption in urban areas that are often ‘food deserts’ depriving urbanites of access to nutritious food, even in high-income countries.

At the end of the visit, visitors tasted vegetable dishes grown and prepared by WorldVeg staff.