Bringing back traditional African vegetables in Eswatini. Healthier meals from farmers’ fields. Sharing seeds for local and global needs.

[Download the Eswatini book here]

This new book of stories shows the impacts of the World Vegetable Center and partners involved in the Taiwan Africa Vegetable Initiative (TAVI) in the Kingdom of Eswatini. It includes many testimonials from those impacted by the project – from farmers to school children and teachers, and others working to ensure that all project aims are realized to the full, such as government extension agents and NGO representatives.

A summary of TAVI project impacts in Eswatini

In 2022, more than 9,000 seed samples were collected in the four TAVI project countries, and already, an eighth of these have been shared by the four countries under the umbrella of a Standard Material Transfer Agreement, and a sixth of them have been regenerated. A further 6,000 seeds samples have also been collected between January and June 2023. Supporting this and learning from it, 17 MSc students have started their field work, and government, NGO and WorldVeg staff and interns have been trained on how to correctly apply seed collection guidelines. Seed will be stored in two new facilities, at WorldVeg centers in Tanzania and Eswatini.

Data for Eswatini shows that 10,240 seed kits were shipped in from WorldVeg seedbanks. Of these 8,215 have already been sown, and the remainder are to be given to the 1,318 children who help tend the school gardens to grow in their own homesteads along with their families. Each kit has enough seed for a 10 x 10 meter garden, and so together, they would establish a total of 100 hectares of new traditional vegetable gardens. The main leafy crops being grown from the seed kits are amaranth, African nightshade, cowpea, Ethiopian mustard, jute mallow and pumpkin for leaves, plus African eggplant, cherry tomatoes and okra.

A total of 1,360 seed accessions have been collected from across Eswatini, from cultivated and wild vegetables, including 48 unique species in seven families (Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Pedaliaceae and Solanaceae). From the collected accessions, 385 of them are already being regenerated in three field stations, with 73 having been harvested and 40 are fully processed. By the end of 2023, samples of all collected accessions will be stored in the new state of the art seedbank, and that will hold the largest collection of traditional African vegetables in southern Africa. This is being built at the Malkerns Agricultural Research Station, overseen by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. The seedbank will become a reserve of crucial genetic material for the country, the continent, and the world, as we strive to conquer malnutrition especially amongst children.

By February 2023, 4597 home gardens have been established with support from the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with WorldVeg and four partner NGOs, 2762 of them (60%) managed by women farmers. And half have already started a second cycle of production. In addition, there are 43 demonstration gardens, 16 school gardens and 40 Neighbourhood Care Points (NCP) gardens, overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture. So far, more than 5,000 farmers and 38 teachers have been trained by 138 government and NGO extensionists who themselves received training in how to grow traditional vegetables. Of the farmers, 103 champions (68 women) were selected to supply the eight pilot schools. Figures show that two tonnes of green leafy vegetables were delivered up to January 2023. A total of 2026 kg were sold by farmers at E30/kg, meaning a total of E60,780 or around US$3325 was earned by local farmers – new income from traditional African vegetables.

At least 10,000 children now have improved nutrition from eating traditional vegetables, and that must continue, and expand. There are 4,891 children in 16 schools who benefit at least weekly through the school feeding program supported by the Ministry of Education, and 4,098 orphans through 40 Neighbourhood Care Points, along with an unknown number of children of farmers who have started to grow traditional African vegetables themselves for home consumption.

And we hope that you will enjoy the pictures and reading the words of the many who have benefitted…