A Global Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan, to secure a nutritious and resilient future

A groundbreaking study led by the World Vegetable Center, and which received the 2023 Cozzarelli Prize earlier this year, highlighted the transformative potential of vegetables. They feed and nourish, create jobs, mitigate shocks (whether climate, economic or environmental), enhance farming systems, and reduce the costs of treating diet-related diseases. But, to achieve these aims, a foundation of vegetable biodiversity is essential. There are more than a thousand vegetable species, yet they make up less than 10% of all genebank accessions globally. So, without sustained efforts to conserve more of our precious vegetable landraces and wild relatives, they are at risk of extinction. A brief paper Safeguarding and using vegetable and fruit biodiversity presented at the UN Food Systems Summit was the starting point.

The first rescue plan was developed for Africa, in response to demand from across the continent, and involving more than 40 contributors. It was endorsed by the African Union Commission during a General Assembly in April, and launched at the African Food System Summit in Kigali. The African Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan is the first step toward a global Rescue Plan, and it is now also formally a part of the Vision for Adapted Crop and Soils (VACS) initiative.

Anothwer major step towards a Global Rescue Plan came at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, held in Des Moines, USA on 29-31 October 2024. The need and vision for a rescue plan at global level were explained at a special breakout session, co-convened by WorldVeg and the Crop Trust, and that explored critical themes including climate resilience, nutrition, and community engagement. It was facilitated by Delphine Larrousse WorldVeg Regional Director for East and South East Asia and Head of Business Development, with a keynote presentation by Maarten van Zonneveld, WorldVeg Head of Genetic Resource. The distinguished panel included Cary Fowler, US Special Enfoy for Food Secutiry and 2024 World Food Prize Laureate, Enoch Achigan-Dako from Benin’s University of Abomey-Calavi, Chutchamas Kanchana-Udomkan from Kasetsart University, Thailand, Peter Wenzl from Alliance CIAT/Bioversity, Colombia, and Sarada Krishnan of the Crop Trust, Germany.

Some of the panel (left to right) – Delphine Larrousse (WorldVeg), Cary Fowler (US Special Envoy for Food Security and 2024 World Food Prize Laureate), Sarada Krishnan (Crop Trust) and Chutchamas Kanchana-Udomkan (Kasetsart University, Thailand)

During panel discussions, Cary Fowler emphasized the urgency of the plan, with over 700 million people food insecure and more than 16 million children stunted, dietary deficiencies need pressing solutions. He also gave the African rescue plan glowing praise. “This is an excellent plan. It is really good. It is one of the best of such plans I have ever seen.” The Vision of Adapted Crops and Soils initiatives focuses on opportunity crops, while the production of these nutritious species is constrained by the scarcity of critical resources, including germplasm collections. Without the necessary raw materials for breeding, success becomes unattainable. He advocated for working with the FAO Plant Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources to broaden the Annex 1 list of crops, so facilitating the exchange of many vegetables that are not currently included.

From the other speakers, Enoch Achigan-Dako shared his personal story of how vegetable trade empowered his family, highlighting the transformative impact of vegetable diversity on livelihoods and nutrition. Chutchamas Kanchana-Udomkan discussed the role of genebanks in linking breeders, growers, and chefs with seeds, stressing the importance of preserving food culture and genetic diversity against the forces of globalization. Sarada Krishnan addressed the need to scale conservation efforts, identify gaps, and ensure genebanks follow international standards. She also highlighted the importance of community engagement and traditional knowledge in embedding vegetable biodiversity into food systems. Peter Wenzl spoke about enhancing the use of vegetable biodiversity, noting the increase in social media influencers encouraging vegetable consumption, and the necessity of improving access to quality seeds for a wide variety of vegetables.

The session underscored the urgency of developing a roadmap for vegetable biodiversity conservation while fostering global collaboration and investment.

See here to watch to the full session recording (51 minutes): https://youtu.be/Xc2aATi1wJo?feature=shared]

Key takeaways from the even include the following. What is very clear is the importance of vegetable biodiversity for supporting climate resilience, improved diets, and supporting livelihoods especially for marginalized groups. Engaging local communities and integrating traditional knowledge are vital for embedding vegetable biodiversity in food systems. Raising awareness about the nutritional value of diverse vegetables and linking gene banks to breeders and farmers are essential steps forward. And there has been progress. Conservation efforts in Africa for example have conserved more than 17,000 vegetable accessions in recent years, complemented by regional collaboration in Southeast Asia – much more is needed. But this needs resources, and implementing just the African rescue plan will require $12.5 million annually for ten years. More will of course be required to scale efforts globally, but for all the almost incalculable benefits for now and future generations, such costs are only a drop in the ocean if compared to, say, even a single medium sized power plant.