Cucurbit connection
WorldVeg cucurbit team members were among the researchers gathered to explore progress in a plant family with 965 species and 95 genera.
Moving forward in Mali
The WorldVeg West and Central Africa - Dry Regions booth attracted a lot of attention at a recent USAID Partnership Declaration event in Bamako, Mali. Omar Diouf explained WorldVeg activities in the region to Mali's Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Moulaye Ahmed Boubacar and US Ambassador to Mali H.E. Dennis Hankins. Mali is one of 12 partner countries selected for a new phase of the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative.
Highlighting nutrition
Nutritionist Ray-yu Yang and Flagship Leader for Enabling Impact Pepijn Schreinemachers participated in a fireside chat on building a nutritious, climate-smart, farmer-friendly food system during the "Roundtable on High Impact and Underrepresented Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems in South Asia," 17-18 June 2019 in Bangkok, hosted by the World Bank's South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (SAFANSI).Â
At the USAID Nigeria launch
Regional Director West and Central Africa - Coastal and Humid Regions Victor Afari-Sefa and Research Assistant - Agronomy Caleb Olanipekun promoted the Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium, high-iron tomato lines for tomato paste, and scaling onion best practices in West Africa at the USAID Nigeria Global Food Security Strategy launch in Abuja on 18 July 2019.Â
Food systems and food choices
WorldVeg participated in conferences to explore food systems and food choices.
Processing tomatoes for plump profits!
India is the world’s second-largest tomato producer but processes less than 1% of its harvest. To ensure tomato growers, processors and consumers benefit from the best tomato fruit available, the World Vegetable Center shared two top-performing dual purpose (fresh market and processing) tomato breeding lines with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) on 24 June 2019 at GIC-India headquarters in Bengaluru.
WorldVeg in Ethiopia
Her Excellency Aynalem Nigussie Ali, State Minister of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, graciously welcomed a WorldVeg delegation on 17 June 2019 in Addis Ababa to discuss opportunities for collaboration. The team conducted a scoping study to determine how best WorldVeg can contribute to the country's efforts to expand vegetable production. Horticulture is a major driver of the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, and the government is expanding small-scale irrigation with fruit, vegetables and tubers as major target crops. The country seeks to establish year-round production, reduce postharvest losses, and increase use of its rich biodiversity of nutrient-dense traditional vegetables.
