— Healthier lives, more resilient livelihoods through greater diversity in what we grow and eat —
Our Featured Projects
Engaging women and youth in vegetable production and distribution networks to close the ‘vegetable gap’ and improve livelihoods and nutrition in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Sustainable and climate-smart agricultural and post-harvest practices to increase vegetable consumption in urban and peri-urban areas of West Africa.
Conserve and use African vegetable biodiversity to address malnutrition by increasing the production and consumption of nutritious vegetables.
The World’s Largest Public Vegetable Genebank
The World Vegetable Center genebank maintains a large collection of public domain germplasm for the current and future use of all humankind. We distribute seed samples of our germplasm accessions and advanced breeding lines worldwide.
With 65,152 accessions encompassing germplasm of 133 genera and 330 species from 155 countries, the World Vegetable Center genebank includes globally important vegetables such as tomato, onion, peppers and cabbage as well as more than 10,000 accessions of traditional vegetables.
Each year the Center distributes about 10,000 seed samples to researchers across the globe. Over the past four decades this has led to the release of hundreds of new vegetable varieties with particular impact in developing countries.
Global presence and impact
Center researchers lead and participate in projects throughout Asia and Africa. We have about 400 staff engaged in this spread of activities, and seek to partner with governments, nongovernmental organizations, universities, research institutes, and the private sector to promote prosperity for the poor and health for all.
Guaranteeing good food on our plates, tomorrow and forever—Inaugurating the newly modernized International Vegetable Genebank
Guaranteeing good food on our plates, tomorrow and forever—Inaugurating the newly modernized International Vegetable Genebank Genetic diversity is essential to achieving global food and nutrition security. On 31 March 31 2025, WorldVeg celebrated [...]
WorldVeg opens a new country office in Mexico – opening opportunities for greater impact in Latin America and the Caribbean
WorldVeg opens a new country office in Mexico – opening opportunities for greater impact in Latin America and the Caribbean For more than 50 years, the World Vegetable Center has been at the [...]
Rescuing vegetable biodiversity for a more nutritious and resilient future – the urgent need to establish a global initiative
Rescuing vegetable biodiversity for a more nutritious and resilient future – the urgent need to establish a global initiative The urgent need to rescue, conserve, [...]
Africa
Vegetable business networks empower women and youth: a new report highlights lessons from East Africa
Vegetable business networks empower women and youth: a new report highlights lessons from East Africa Vegetable production and marketing offer a viable avenue for women and youth in East Africa to generate income [...]
New guide for vegetable seed certification in Djibouti｜Nouveau guide pour la certification des semences de cultures maraîchères à Djibouti
New guide for vegetable seed certification in Djibouti｜Nouveau guide pour la certification des semences de cultures maraîchères à Djibouti Download here Seeds play a key role in improving crop yields, disseminating [...]
Vegetable gardening transforms lives for displaced people in Ethiopia
Vegetable gardening transforms lives for displaced people in Ethiopia Recent conflicts in Ethiopia forced many to move, seeking safety away from their homes. Settling in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), they face hardships [...]
WorldVeg’s Offices in Africa: 📍 Eastern & Southern Africa Office – 📍 West & Central Africa Office (Dry Regions) – 📍 West & Central Africa Office (Humid Regions)
Asia
Gardening support helps Dhaka residents eat healthier
Gardening support helps Dhaka residents eat healthier Growing vegetables in a garden to enhance a family meal, with surpluses shared with neighbors or sold, is an age-old practice common everywhere. Its contribution to [...]
High yielding and more resistant chili hybrids being developed in Sri Lanka
High yielding and more resistant chili hybrids being developed in Sri Lanka Cover of the Yummy Hot F1 hybrid seed pack, developed in collaboration with WorldVeg Taiwan and the CGIAR-funded FRESH initiative [...]
Accelerating the development of climate-resilient vegetable varieties with a new ‘speed breeding’ facility
Accelerating the development of climate-resilient vegetable varieties with a new ‘speed breeding’ facility The World Vegetable Center has established a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art ‘speed breeding’ facility for pepper and tomato breeding at its headquarters [...]
WorldVeg’s Offices in Asia: 📍 Headquarters in Taiwan – 📍 South & Central Asia Office – 📍 East & Southeast Asia Office
Latin America / Caribbean
WorldVeg at a World Food Prize Foundation event – and now to begin activities in Mexico
WorldVeg at a World Food Prize Foundation event – and now to begin activities in Mexico On 10-11 July, 600 people from 55 countries attended a DialogueNext event entitled ‘Seeds of strength: nurturing farmer [...]
Promoting vegetable diversity and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more tolerant varieties
Promoting vegetable diversity and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more tolerant varieties Cahabonero chili pepper in Alta Verapaz now being improved for resistance to viruses, phythophtora blight and fusarium [...]
Growth Habit
Perspectives to expand your view of vegetables
Taller, heavier, hungrier: Can global agriculture meet our demand for more food?
As Body Mass Index (BMI) rises, expect a marked increase in global calorie requirements.
MY SUCCESS
New disease resistant and market-preferred tomato varieties are developed in Benin
New disease resistant and market-preferred tomato varieties are developed in Benin Story and photos: Mathieu Ayenan | March 2023 Tomato is the most popular vegetable in West Africa. And more could be [...]
Vegetable innovations key to unlocking potential of women farmers
In Tanzania, exposure to best farming practices opens new opportunities for enterprising farmer Pendael Paulo.
Tiny, tasty, and packed with nutrients
Ms. Adolat Berdieva produces cherry tomatoes in a low-cost greenhouse she built herself.
A young man’s vision
Plants are the inspiration and income the motivation for a young Ghanaian graduate to take up farming as a career.
RECENT RESEARCH
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WorldVeg’s Donors
Support for World Vegetable Center activities is provided by project donors and the following long-term strategic donors.
Thanks to UK aid from the UK government, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the governments of Taiwan, Germany, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.