The World Vegetable Center Board meet in Benin for fruitful discussions

On 18-22 November 2024, the 66th World Vegetable Center Board meeting convened at in the West and Central Africa Regional Center, in Abomey-Calavi, near Cotonou, Benin. For several days, they had the opportunity to have many meetings, amongst themselves, with staff, and to visit the Center’s facilities. This was also the first time that the Board had visited the regional center in Benin since it was established in 2017.

Board members, accompanied by scientists and staff from the World Vegetable Center in Benin and Mali (with staff from Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana and Nigeria participating online via video conference, at a working session focused on key global horticulture issues.

Discussions between the Board and WorldVeg scientists focused on solutions to tackle hunger and poverty in Africa, with particular emphasis on agricultural development through crop diversification and resilience. Participants also highlighted the need to ensure affordable access to these solutions for millions of farmers across the continent. The issue of postharvest crop conservation was discussed as essential for the sustainability of agricultural systems, to prevent losses.

There was much sharing of experiences and visions, providing Board members with an opportunity to discuss innovative ideas and concrete actions that would strengthen the capacities of farmers and foster innovation in the sector. These exchanges helped fuel collective thinking on identifying new avenues to address the challenges of sustainable agriculture, and ensure a prosperous future for horticulture in Africa.

The board received a visit of HE Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Mme Komlan, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry (center, and who visited the WorldVeg Global R&D week), pictured with Malick Ba, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, and Masa Iwanaga, Vice Chair of the Board (left), and Gabriel Rugalema, Associate Director General (Africa and Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, and Marco Wopereis, Director General (right). In the meeting with the Board, Marco Wopereis said that the organization is working on a new strategy and that Benin will play a key role in the anticipated growth to a US$60 million annual budget by 2033. The Minister expressed his strong support for WorldVeg, and offered support so that it would grow to serve sustainable horticulture development across the region.

The Board also said goodbye to Marlis Lindecke from Germany after more than nine years dedicated service as a Board member, here with Masa Iwanaga, Board Vice Chair.

The Board meeting concluded with a strong collective commitment that reflected the shared determination to ensure a more resilient and sustainable future for global agriculture, through future actions by the World Vegetable Center and partners, with the ambition to sustainably transform horticulture in Africa, and the world.