Duplicated and delivered:

Eswatini’s seeds reach their second home in Africa’s Vegetable Genebank

Seeds from the national genebank in Eswatini arrive in Africa’s Vegetable Genebank at WorldVeg in Tanzaina. Pictured is Abdul Shango of WorldVeg. Photo by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg)

The first shipment of traditional African vegetable seeds from Eswatini’s national genebank has arrived at Africa’s Vegetable Genebank, managed by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) in Tanzania, for long-term backup storage.

The delivery of 383 seed samples weighing about 70 kg includes chili, pumpkin, melon, gourd, okra, sesame, bean, Bambara groundnut, mung bean, and cowpea. These crops provide key micronutrients for healthy diets, while climate-resilient species such as Bambara groundnut and cowpea can thrive in hot, dry conditions, helping farmers adapt to climate change.

“This is an achievement we’re extremely proud of,” said Sydney Boy Simelane, Principal Secretary of Eswatini’s Ministry of Agriculture. “Regional cooperation in Africa is vital, and one of the main goals of establishing the Eswatini genebank was to share seeds. By sending these samples to Africa’s Vegetable Genebank, we are contributing our genetic diversity just as other countries have shared theirs with us – proof that the seed-sharing system between Eswatini and the rest of Africa works.”

Africa’s Vegetable Genebank

The milestone follows shipments of seeds from Africa’s Vegetable Genebank to Eswatini in 2021-2022, which saw the facility send 10,000 seed kits containing 11 varieties of traditional African vegetables for distribution to farmers and schools to help tackle malnutrition and improve the diets of children.

TAVI previously supported the collection of at-risk vegetable seeds from farmers and national parks across Eswatini, and funded the construction of a state-of-the-art national genebank at the National Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Malkerns Agricultural Research Station in Luyengo. Officially opened in March 2024, the genebank safeguards Eswatini’s unique vegetable diversity for the long term and shares samples nationally with farmers and researchers.

Seed packs from the national genebank in Eswatini arrive in Africa’s Vegetable Genebank at WorldVeg in Tanzaina. Photo by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg)

Duplicating the Eswatini collections in Africa’s Vegetable Genebank in Tanzania protects them from risks such as natural disasters, equipment failure, or other unforeseen events, while ensuring they can be shared internationally. The shipment also advances the African Biodiversity Rescue Plan – a continent-wide, ten-year vision for collecting, conserving and using Africa’s plant genetic resources.

“This is a really important moment for crop conservation and strengthens future food security in Eswatini and beyond,” said Yuan-li Chan, TAVI Project Manager. “It’s the result of years of painstaking conservation work, and a crucial step in safeguarding traditional vegetables and strengthening regional cooperation on genetic resources in Africa.”

Sognigbe N’Danikou, manager of Africa’s Vegetable Genebank said: “This proves that the new Eswatini genebank can conserve seed to strict international standards and back up its collections in a secure, second location. The system works both ways: seeds can also move from Africa’s Vegetable Genebank to Eswatini, giving farmers and researchers access to the continent’s largest vegetable collection.”

Seeds from the national genebank in Eswatini arrive in Africa’s Vegetable Genebank at WorldVeg in Tanzaina. Pictured is Abdul Shango of WorldVeg. Photo by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg)