Start date: 1 January 2021
End date: 31 December 2023

Problems to be addressed

The intensification of agricultural production systems has led to an increased reliance on external inputs and degradation of natural resources. Although intensification seems to provide immediate productivity and economic gains, it is not sustainable.

The current model of agricultural intensification is associated with the loss of biodiversity, ecological functions, and critical ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. Production systems have become specialized on very few crops thus upsetting soil processes, modifying nutrient and energy flows, as well as biogeochemical cycles. Hence, it is important to design, test, validate and scale alternative approaches contributing to long-term improvements in incomes, food security, and resilience in East Africa.

How does the project address the problem?

• The project will strengthen the evidence basis for agroecological approaches to vegetable farming which are found to reduce land degradation, build soil organic matter, reduce carbon emissions, and increase the sustainability and resilience of crop production systems.
• The Project will complement another WorldVeg project in Kenya: Veggies 4 Planet & People (V4P&P). Benefitting from V4P&P’s Vegetable Business Networks demand-led innovation approach, ‘Greener Greens’ will be implemented through:

(i) developing and validating needs-based agroecological approaches,

(ii) building the evidence basis by showing successful pilot implementations, and

(iii) disseminating the results.

What results are expected?

1. The evidence basis generated that agroecological approaches are beneficial for smallholder vegetable production systems.
2. At least 100 farmers improved their income, food security and resilience after adopting agroecological approaches to vegetable production.
3. Stakeholders influenced to adopt agroecological approaches to vegetable production.