Trends and issues in the world of vegetables. An interview with Marco Wopereis, Director General of the World Vegetable Center

Marco Wopereis responds to 16 questions set to him by Peter Batt of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), and that was published in the Chronica Horticulturae journal earlier this year. The following is just a short extract of the first two questions. For the full interview, see the link below.

When asked for ‘a helicopter view of the world and what is happening in vegetable land,’ Marco responded by describing the contrasting issues faced by a vegetable producer in Australia, compared to one in Nigeria. But he also notes, is that “both producers, however, will worry about climate change.” He then detailed the work of the World Vegetable Center on the adaption side, and on the mitigation side. WorldVeg is a world leader in developing improved vegetable varieties better able to tolerate our heat, drought, flooding and salinity, and the new pests and diseases that are coming along with increasing frequency. And this is greatly assisted by WorldVeg holding more than 70,000 accessions in its genebanks from where new traits can be sourced.

Marco also explains what is being done to reduce “the excessive use of external inputs like chemical fertilizer and pesticides in production systems”, such as by “encouraging farmers to use composting, vermicomposting, legumes, green manures and crop rotations with our partners. In Taiwan, we have initiated some long-term trials where we are measuring soil health and greenhouse gas emissions to see whether intercropping with legumes or the use of biochar, for example, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. We are also trying to find ways how to reduce tillage intensity in vegetable production, as frequent tilling burns out organic matter and releases carbon dioxide. We are finding that, for example, some hardy vegetables like okra may perform surprisingly well under reduced tillage and even in a no-till system.”

And he closes with an invitation to others, to join with WorldVeg. “We see ourselves as an ‘open science center’ that very much welcomes partners who can make a difference on the pull, push and policy side. We need all the help we can get to realize the tremendous potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods.”

For the full interview, see:

Trends and issues in the world of vegetables. An interview with Marco Wopereis, Director General, World Vegetable Center. p19-22. In: Chronica Horticulturae Volume 64 Number 3 | International Society for Horticultural Science