Taking root – a scaling journey

Story by Mwasilwa Ambali, integrated expert
at the World Vegetable Center (WordVeg) in Benin

A fresh start

In late 2020, as COVID restrictions began to ease, I found myself at a crossroads. After five fulfilling years in Senegal, the longest stay in any country during my nine-year odyssey across Africa, I craved a sense of stability for my family. My experience with development agencies and private companies in Cameroon, Congo, Burundi and Djibouti had been enriching, but I yearned for a new challenge. That’s when I learned about an Integrated Expert position in Benin at the World Vegetable Center. WorldVeg is an international research center that has been successful in developing new vegetable technologies. In seeking to scale these technologies more efficiently, WorldVeg needed an individual who could bring together a range of soft and hard skills, such as communication, problem solving and agronomy.

Empowering agricultural entrepreneurs

The role resonated deeply with me. Scaling up initiatives to benefit smallholder producers, a cause that had driven me to study agronomy and shaped my career, was exactly where I wanted to be. Landing in the humid embrace of Cotonou in November 2021, I embarked on a new adventure. Onboarding at the WorldVeg research institute, a world unfamiliar to my development background, meant navigating scientific articles and research protocols. I dove headfirst into the unknown.

Overcoming imposter syndrome

I became a member of the Task Force on Scaling. The first Task Force meeting intensified my imposter syndrome. My brilliant, research-savvy colleagues, most with over four years of Task Force experience, presented impressive scaling pathways. Some theorised the concept of scaling, others implemented strategies. Their explanations were instrumental in refining my own scaling approach. Story by Mwasilwa Ambali, Integrated Expert at the World Vegetable Center (WordVeg) in Benin Despite initial concerns, my plan to scale up innovations to increase producer efficiency and income began to take shape. My focus was twofold: empowering agricultural entrepreneurs and ensuring farmers had access to high-performing, climate-resilient seed varieties.

Vegetable business network

Through the Vegetable Business Network approach, I facilitated business relationships within the pick-your-own industry. One entrepreneur, a woman with a sewing background, had started a natural vegetable juice business. Through discussions, I identified the challenges – access to finance and knowledge for pesticide reduction and quality produce. Taking Root – A Scaling Journey My position as Integrated Expert facilitated collaboration with a GIZ project that provided training on business plans and pitches. Meanwhile, colleagues developed specific training programmes on good agricultural practices, creating an enabling environment for innovation.

Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium (AVBC) members

Africa vegetable breeding consortium –
now a key player in WorldVeg’s African
innovation strategy

My other mission was to link seed companies with the genetics developed by WorldVeg. Improved seeds mean better yields and less need for pesticides for farmers, ultimately increasing their incomes. WorldVeg set up the Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium (AVBC) to facilitate this link. As one of the first to experience the language gap between researchers and companies, my first task was to translate genetic innovations into a format accessible to all seed producers, large and small. A comprehensive catalogue of innovations streamlined this process. To promote the consortium, I attended trade fairs and interacted with seed producers to understand their needs and tailor services and training. We successfully transformed the consortium from a limited exchange platform to a key player in WorldVeg’s African Innovation Strategy.

Access to high-performing seeds and boosted incomes

After three years at WorldVeg, my practical business development experience brought a fresh perspective. Today, Malian producers are benefiting from more resilient pepper varieties, increasing their incomes. Major African seed companies are members of the consortium. The incredible juice producer now operates a new processing plant that handles over two tonnes of product a month and employs over 20 people. By scaling innovations and fostering sustainable agricultural practices, we are planting seeds for a more resilient and prosperous future.

Mwasilwa Ambali visits a habaneros selection field during a workshop on market requirements for farmers