VegWorld

WorldVeg Vision & Mission

The WorldVeg vision is a world where everyone eats a wide range of vegetables, and its mission is to make that possible by using science and innovation to improve how vegetables are grown and consumed in a rapidly changing world.

As the World Vegetable Center envisions the future, it is keen to open its work to the wider public, to help show the importance of vegetables, and unleash their potential.

VegWorld

VegWorld aims to connect science, food, and people in one place, making vegetable research visible, relevant, and accessible to a wider audience.

It is envisioned as an architecturally-striking building on the WorldVeg campus in Shanhua District, Tainan. It will serve as welcoming hub for visitors of all ages from around the world to learn why vegetables matter for healthy diets, resilient livelihoods, and a sustainable future.

Through inspiring installations, visitors will be able to follow the story of vegetables from seed to plate, learn about crop diversity and seed conservation, and see how vegetable science translates into real-world impact – from Taiwan, to Asia more broadly, Africa, the Americas, and beyond.

VegWorld envisages hands-on activities such as cooking workshops, urban farming training, exhibitions, and events, alongside facilities for conferences, education, and collaboration between researchers, partners, and industry.

VegWorld is where vegetable science meets people, practice, and purpose, helping visitors understand not just what vegetables are, but why they matter – for health, the environment, livelihoods, and so much more.

Tile Descriptions 

 Mungbean, this fast-growing legume is rich in protein, iron, and folate, making it valuable for both nutrition and affordable diets. It also improves soil health by fixing nitrogen, which means farmers can grow it with fewer fertilizers—good for the climate and helping to keep production costs low. Across Asia and increasingly in Africa, mungbean can be intercropped with crops like maize and rice, giving smallholder farmers an extra harvest and income in the same year. Through breeding, WorldVeg works to make mungbean varieties more resilient to heat, drought, and pests, helping farmers produce reliable yields even as weather patterns become less predictable.

Amaranth is consumed both as a leafy vegetable and a grain, and it thrives where many other plants struggle. Its leaves are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, making it a powerful ally in efforts to reduce micronutrient deficiency. Amaranth grows quickly, tolerates heat, and can be harvested multiple times, which is especially valuable for smallholder farmers needing fast returns. Popular in local markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, improved amaranth varieties from WorldVeg focus on higher yields, better taste, and resistance to pests, turning a traditional crop into a modern sustainability success story.

Okra is a familiar ingredient in many cuisines, but it is also a resilient crop well suited to hot, dry conditions. Nutritionally, it provides fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, supporting healthy diets while fitting easily into local food cultures. For farmers, okra is attractive because it produces continuously over a long season, offering steady income rather than a single harvest. Grown across Africa, Asia, and beyond, okra benefits from WorldVeg’s breeding work to improve tolerance to heat, diseases, and insects, ensuring farmers can keep harvesting even under climate stress.

Tomato is one of the world’s most consumed vegetables, central to diets from village kitchens to global food industries. It is a major source of vitamins A and C and an important contributor to vegetable intake year-round. But tomatoes are also vulnerable to heat, diseases, and pests, which can affect harvests and incomes. WorldVeg focuses on breeding tomato varieties that are more resilient, productive, and suitable for smallholder conditions, helping farmers reduce losses while meeting strong local and international demand. In doing so, tomatoes become not just a staple food, but a pathway to better nutrition and more stable livelihoods.