Bridging the vegetable gap through

sustainable vegetable business networks

Background: Mean levels of vegetable consumption in sub-Saharan Africa are the lowest of any region in the world. Closing this “vegetable gap” through increasing production and marketing of vegetables will not only improve nutrition, but will also provide an opportunity to create jobs and income for producers and other actors in the whole vegetable value chain. On July 1, 2020, the “Veggies 4 Planet & People (V4P&P)” project, a five-year, €6M initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation and implemented by the World Vegetable Center and SNV, was launched. The project is working towards a strong and competitive vegetable sub-sector. The overall project objective is to create jobs and income, particularly for youth and women, in the vegetable sector in Ethiopia and Kenya, and to improve environmental and human health through safe production of vegetables.

Empowering through vegetable business networks (VBNs): V4P&P’s journey from inception to June 2025 aims to establish 200 Vegetable Business Networks (VBNs), with 120 in Kenya and 80 in Ethiopia, involving around 4,000 women and youth. VBNs are networks that reach beyond the traditional farmer groups; they include all actors in the vegetable value chain such as input suppliers, business service providers, farmers, traders, and retailers. The purpose of these networks is to engage in market activities to improve livelihoods and dietary habits.

Expanding vegetable business networks: V4P&P has exceeded its target by establishing 219 VBNs by the end of 2023, uniting 5,662 members. This expansion reflects the drive of communities to engage in regenerative vegetable farming practices and their interest in marketing and the committed facilitation of all project partners involved.

Promoting traditional African vegetables: V4P&P strategically focuses on traditional African vegetables, such as amaranth, African nightshade, spider plant, and Ethiopian mustard, which are rich in essential nutrients like iron, calcium, and vitamin A. This not only enhances nutrition but also preserves local agricultural heritage and diversity.

Empowering women and youth: The project has surpassed its inclusion targets, with 48% youth being involved in Ethiopia and 28% in Kenya. In Kenya, 66% of VBN members are women, while in Ethiopia it is 33%. Training in business skills focuses on equitable representation.

Support through VBN coaches: Every VBN has a ‘business coach’ who facilitates access to resources, information, training, financial services, and market connections. The coaches also liaise with local county governments in the case of Kenya, and in Ethiopia they are local government employees.

Promoting regenerative agriculture: V4P&P promotes the use of regenerative agricultural practices, equipping coaches and VBN members with skills related to seed production, management of soil organic matter, soil health, water conservation and utilization, agroforestry, and integrated pest management among others. These sustainable practices enrich the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, contributing to a greener environment.

Seed and input systems and quality assurance: The project stimulates the availability and accessibility of reliable quality seeds of the vegetable varieties that are in demand by the VBNs and ultimately the consumers. This is being achieved by collaborating with the private seed sector as well as strengthening the informal seed sectors, ensuring diversity, quality and affordability. Other input systems promoted through the VBNs are businesses of tray seedlings, biopesticides, biofertilizers and botanicals.

Market linkages and sustainability: The project helps VBNs to forge diverse and agile market linkages in the big cities of Nairobi, Kisumu and Addis Ababa, as well as other local markets. In both countries, formal and informal markets are engaged, ensuring financial viability and growth of VBNs. Collaboration with digital platforms such as KwikBasket, Greenspoon, and Tawi Fresh further enhances access to high value markets.

Community engagement and awareness: V4P&P goes beyond farming by engaging urban youth and hosting cooking contests to promote demand and consumption of traditional African vegetables. Research is being carried out in collaboration with ODI to understand consumer preferences, while some campaigns specifically target urban youth in collaboration with Shujaaz.

Partnerships: The project is managed by WorldVeg and jointly implemented by WorldVeg and SNV. It further collaborates with wide range of partners such as National and Regional Departments of Agriculture, County Governments, Woredas, ROA, ACE, CABI, Shujaaz, ODI, KALRO, EIAR, IITA, TPP, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, SEFFA, HER+, Ukama Ustawi, Biovision Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute, AMEA, and others. These collaborations involve strategic research and development activities, knowledge sharing, capacity development, and policy development. Biovision Foundation funds the Greener Greens project, which is embedded in V4P&P and implemented in Murang’a and Nyandarua Counties of Kenya.