Greener Greens Phase Two:
Agroecological approaches take African leafy vegetables to the next level
Farmers in Murang’a County trialed agroecological practices to grow amaranth, African nightshade, kale, and pumpkin, promoting sustainable and diverse crop production.
A World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg)-led project aiming to reduce the use of chemical inputs and promote agroecological approaches to traditional African leafy vegetable production in Central Kenya has entered its second three-year phase, expanding the range of vegetables and food systems it supports.
Launched in 2021, Greener Greens Phase One was established in response to rising public concern about the environmental and health risks posed by synthetic pesticides and fertilizers on smallholder farms in Kenya.
The project’s first phase supported farmers in Murang’a County to trial agroecological practices for production of amaranth, African nightshade, kale, and pumpkin—fast-growing traditional African leafy vegetables.
These and other African leafy vegetables are rich in micronutrients such as calcium, selenium, zinc, beta-carotene, iron, and folate, and offer a range of health and medicinal benefits. In Kenya, they are largely grown and marketed by women and youth, making important contributions to household income, food, and nutrition security.
Phase One farmers reported increased yields after adopting intercropping, sticky traps, plant extracts, companion planting for pest control, and compost and manure to reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers. Many noted improved quality, greater marketability, and reduced post-harvest losses compared to conventionally grown vegetables. Key findings from Phase One can be found in the research brief, as well as detailed guidelines for the agroecological production of vegetables in the released manual.
Greater reach, greater rewards
Farmers in Murang’a County trialed agroecological practices to grow amaranth, African nightshade, kale, and pumpkin, promoting sustainable and diverse crop production.
The second phase of Greener Greens – funded by the Biovision Foundation – builds on the work in Murang’a County and extends activities to neighboring Nyandarua County. It expands the list of traditional African vegetables to include crops like cowpea, spider plant, and Ethiopian kale, aiming to optimize agroecological production, support soil health, diversify incomes, and strengthen climate resilience. The focus on nutrient-dense vegetables is also intended to enhance maternal and child nutrition among farming communities. Water harvesting and management are additional priorities to support dry-season vegetable production, which remains challenging.
Phase Two also focuses on strengthening farmers’ access to agroecological inputs such as biopesticides and biofertilizers and aims to link them to markets through a Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) – a trust-based quality assurance system for organic certification.
To support this phase, two local implementing partners have joined the initiative. The Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) will lead knowledge dissemination, offering agribusiness training and mentorship to farmers and supporting them in gaining PGS certification. Meanwhile, the Organic Agriculture Centre of Kenya (OACK) will support with training on soil health, pest management, and the use of commercial biopesticides. The project has synergies with the AGROVEG project, implemented by the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and WorldVeg, to disseminate knowledge on soil and plant health, as well as with the Taiwan-Africa Vegetable Initiative (TAVI) in Kenya, which brings traditional vegetables into selected primary schools in Nyandarua.
