Innovations in agro-food sectors

Fruits and Vegetables

The role of the Fruits and Vegetables sector is of increasing relevance in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Amongst others, this sector’s significance is due to its economic potential and its relevance for women’s and young people’s employment. This Knowledge Portal topic refers to interesting knowledge products on the potential of the Fruits and Vegetables sector for food and nutrition security.

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Gender and trait preferences for banana cultivation and use in sub-saharan Africa: A literature review
Published by Economic Botany,
This article systematically reviewed the scholarly and gray literature on banana trait preferences, with specific attention to studies that document gender-differentiated traits. Farmers (as producers, processors, and consumers) often prefer traditional cultivars because of their superior consumption attributes, even if new cultivars have better agronomic and host plant resistance characteristics. »
Sowing the seed: Adoption processes of good horticulture practices in northern Uganda
Published by ISSD Africa, Wageningen University & Research ,
This publication aims to anwser the question: "How do farmers respond to the vegetable activities, and why?" in northern Uganda. A farmer outreach program was developed to promote use of good quality seed and good horticulture practice. Of all participants, one-third adopted 1 or more technologies. »
Land access in the development of horticultural crops in East Africa: A case study of passion fruit in Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda
Published by Sustainability Journal,
This research evaluated land access dynamics (availability, acquisition, and use changes) on the introduction of passion fruits in East Africa (Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda). aAdoption of high-value horticultural crops is supported for the increased income of rural farmers in East Africa, however, constraints on land access may limit the achievement of optimum income from the cultivation of these crops. »
Diets in a time of coronavirus: Don’t let vegetables fall off the plate
Published by IFPRI,
This blog at IFPRI explains that vegetables production, trade and consumption are particularly affected by COVID-19 because of their highly seasonal nature, high labor needs, perishability and the need for good storage and distribution logistics, with significant implications for nutrition security. To protect healthy diets, policy debates should focus on trade-offs between international trade and local or common production systems, consolidation in the food system that leaves government with few policy levers in times of crisis, and how the most vulnerable can be supported in access to healthy diets. »
Sustainable food systems through diversification and indigenous vegetables: An analysis of the Arusha area
Published by ECDPM,
This report aims at filling the knowledge gap on the factors and actors that are currently hindering the benefits of indigenous vegetables to materialise, and how governance and policy can support indigenous vegetables in diverse contexts in Arusha, Tanzania. Interdisciplinary research using a politically sensitive food system approach can help develop pathways that make trade-offs more explicit and take into account the interests and incentives of the different actors involved.  »
Sustainable food systems through diversification and indigenous vegetables: An analysis of the Southern Nakuru County
Published by ECDPM,
This report presents the results of multi-disciplinary research and dialogue activities in Kenya, using a ‘food systems approach’ in terms of sustainability and outcomes, a related governance analysis about the bottlenecks and drivers that make diversification of the food system difficult, with a focus on indigenous vegetables. An example of crosscutting solutions is a multi-stakeholder platform to regularly bring together all relevant actors. »
HortIMPACT: The story 2015-2019
Published by SNV,
This booklet provides the overall results of the HortIMPACT project and gives special attention to the lessons learnt during the implementation. Despite HortIMPACT’s impact, there is still need for greater systemic change in enhancing food safety and market access while reducing food losses, with climate change and limited water availability continuing to challenge food security.  »
Characterising the fruit and vegetable environment of peri-urban Hyderabad, India
Published by Global Food Security journal,
This study examined the perceptions of people living in peri-urban villages in India to characterise the sources and environment of fruit and vegetables (FV) and to inform future interventions to increase FV consumption. This study shows that a range of factors related to food environments determine acquisition of FVs, including price, availability, sensory attributes, pesticide use, and socio-cultural factors. »
Innovations in vegetable food systems for food safety and nutrition security in lower and middle income countries in Asia
Published by FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform ,
This article states that improving food safety and nutrition security, requires innovations that simultaneously increase the supply and demand for vegetables. In the current context of global malnutrition, the importance of investing in vegetable research and innovations, is more relevant than ever. »
Seeds of change: The power of fruits and vegetables to improve nutrition in Tanzania
Published by Centre for Strategic & International Studies,
This report examined the imperative role of fruits and vegetables in combating malnutrition in Tanzania. The major barrier to individual and household consumption of fruits and vegetables was lack of knowledge, including a basic misunderstanding of nutritional needs versus hunger, generational misinformation on cooking vegetables too long to cleanse them of pesticides, and taboos concerning the effects of certain vegetables on male reproductive health. »
The impact of smallholder farmers’ participation in avocado export markets on the labor market, farm yields, sales prices, and incomes in Kenya
Published by Land Use Policy journal,
This study examines the determinants and impacts of smallholder-producer participation in avocado export markets on labor inputs, farm yields, sales prices, and incomes in Kenya. Smallholder farmers can benefit from participation in avocado export markets and other supply chain activities. Providing households with access to foreign markets and up-to-date information on farm technology, along with the dissemination of simple and domestically invented technologies, could apparently achieve higher farm incomes, revenues, and sales prices. »
Gaps between fruit and vegetable production, demand and recommended consumption at global and national levels
Published by The lancet Planetary Health ,
This article explores the role of insufficient production of fruits and vegetables and the effects of food waste and public policy in achieving recommended fruit and vegetable consumption. Even under the most optimistic socioeconomic scenarios (excluding food waste), many countries fail to achieve sufficient fruit and vegetable availability to meet even the minimum recommended target. »
Assessment of opportunities for Burundian small-scale potato farmers to increase productivity and income
Published by Potato Research ,
This research assessed the impact of the main factors contributing to yield improvement of potatoes: improved varieties, healthier seed, better stored seed, late blight disease control and fertilisation. It was shown that it is possible to double yields and economic returns under the growing conditions in Burundi when growers plant healthy pre-sprouted seed of a new variety and apply chemical fertilisers and fungicides. »
Seed companies and the Tanzanian horticulture sector
Published by Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation,
This case study looks at the potential value of horticulture for farmers in Tanzania, and the contribution of the seed sector to the growing Tanzanian horticulture sector. Small farmers could all use commercial open pollinated varieties (OPV) and adopt low-cost production technologies. A profitable, responsible sector meeting the national needs is possible and reliable seed companies are critical to the vitality of the sector. »
Food traceability in the domestic horticulture sector in Kenya: An overview
Published by 3R Kenya, Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation, TradeCare,
This study aimed to review the available tracebility systems and identify the best options for the domestic horticulture suppy chain in Kenya with the goal to provide food safety and quality assurance. raceability systems help deliver tailored goods and services to the consumers and are an evidence of value, especially in terms of quality and safety of the product. »
Aligning the food system to meet dietary needs: Fruits and vegetables
Published by Feed the Future,
This paper discusses strategies for increasing the production and consumption of fruits and vegetables as a path to obtaining adequate diets and increased incomes in domestic and transitional economies. Although often neglected in calorie counts, eating horticultural crops provides critical nutrients for a balanced diet. »
Catalysing food safety in the domestic horticulture sector in Kenya: The potential link between export production and evolving domestic supply chains
Published by Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation,
This report presents findings of research which aims to understand the leverage points that can catalyse investment opportunities for enhancing quality and safety in the domestic fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) sector. Key findings on the supply side include that good production practices are diffused from the export platform by small- and medium scale farmers who are producing FFV for both export and domestic markets. A key finding on the demand site is that there is a clear segmentation of markets that recognize the importance of food safety and those wo do not. »
Vegetable farming and farmers’ livelihood: Insights from Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Published by Sustainability Journal,
This study investigated whether vegetable farming contributes significantly to the livelihood of farmers by generating cash and providing employment opportunities. The model results indicate a significant positive relationship between vegetable farming and livelihood improvement. »
Vegetable business and smallholders’ food security: Empirical findings from Northern Ethiopia
Published by Sustainability Journal,
This article aims to answer the question is whether market-oriented vegetable production will actually help farmers to become more food secure. The results show that a farmer’s participation in the vegetable business increased significantly with adequate household productive resources, cooperative memberships and access to extension services. While Ethiopia is going ahead with inclusive market-driven approaches to food security, alternative mechanisms must be put in place to address the negative impacts and to empower those living in the most vulnerable conditions. »
Can governments promote homestead gardening at scale? Evidence from Ethiopia
Published by Global Food Security Journal ,
This study analyzes a large and novel survey on the adoption of a nationwide homestead garden (HG) program implemented by the Ethiopian government. Results show that adaption of HGs in water-scarce communities is low (<12%) suggesting water access is the main barrier to HG adoption. In more water-abundant communities, better market access encourages HG adoption; so too does greater public promotion of HGs. »
Indigenous vegetable production and the economic empowerment of rural women in Africa: Reality, prospects, and challenges in Rwanda
Published by IK: Other ways of knowing,
This study explores the role of rural women in the production of indigenous vegetables in Rwanda, especially in view of the preponderance of, and the consumer preference for, modern exotic vegetables in the country’s recent history. Furthermore, the study probes into the nutritional and economic importance of indigenous vegetables in Rwanda, with emphasis on how rural women stand to expand their earning power by upgrading their indigenous vegetable production capacity. »
The participatory market chain approach: Stimulating innovations along the indigenous African leafy vegetables market chain
Published by African Journal of Rural Development,
This study aimed at improving market access for smallholder farmers (particularly women) in the African Leafy Vegetables (ALV) market chain. Results showed that collaboration in the ALV chain resulted into synergies which led to quick wins, stronger relations and improved functionality at the node and chain level. »
Making markets work for indigenous vegetables: Towards a sustainable food system in the Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya
Published by ECDPM,
This paper looks at how to increase awareness and willingness of consumer to buy indigenous vegetables, and to ultimately make markets work for them. One way to increase awareness would be to create labels or certificates to signal to consumer the sustainability benefits of indigenous vegetables. »
Postharvest losses and their determinants: A challenge to creating a sustainable cooking banana value chain in Uganda
Published by Sustainability Journal,
This paper utilizes cross-sectional data to determine the extent and factors that are influencing postharvest losses in the cooking-banana value chain in Uganda. Household headship, household size, proportion of land allocated to banana production, and monthly banana production are the principal determinants of PHL. »
How big is the potato yield gap in Sub-Saharan Africa and why? A participatory approach
Published by Open Agriculture,
This study is an attempt to develop an innovation consultation approach for yield gap assessment in sub-Saharan Africa, based on syngergies between modelling techniques and historical non-published data of potato experiments. Poor quality seed and bacterial wilt were the main yield gap drivers. »
Land tenure and water sources for urban vegetable farmers in Asante-Mampong, Ghana
Published by The Indian Journal of Science and Technology ,
This study ooks at existing vegetable farmslands use arrangement, irrigation water sources, awareness of wastewater irrigatoin and willingsness of its practie in Ghana. Vegetable farming plays a significant role in urban societies, but issues of availability of land and water sources exists. »
How can health, agriculture and economic policy actors work together to enhance the external food environment for fruit and vegetables? A qualitative policy analysis in India
Published by Food Policy Journal,
This study aims to identify opportunities to strengthen food system policy for nutrition, for fruit and vegetables in India. The study identified three strategies for fruit and vegetable supply policy actors, which can help address the interdisciplinary disconnect between nutrition, economics and agriculture. »
Assessment of production potential and post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in northern region of Ethiopia
Published by Agriculture and Food Security,
This study assesses the production potential and post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables at farmer’s feld and uidentifies the technological gaps in the existing production and post-harvest handling techniques, in Northern Ethiopia. »
Foreign development investment and supply chains in horticulture: Diversifying exports and reducing poverty
Published by Center for Global Development,
This working paper looks into supply chain creation in horticulture in Africa, Latin America and other developing regions. It demonstrates that expansion of international investment in horticultural supply chains offers significant potential for export diversification and poverty reduction. »
Post-harvest losses: Global scale, solutions, and relevance to Ghana
Published by IFPRI,
This report focuses on post-harvest losses (PHL) in the horticulture sector of Ghana to quantify the extent and drives of loss of specific crops in specific contexts to identify the most cost-effective solution. Horticulture has great growth potential in Ghana, so returns to PHL prevention are expected to be high. »
Livelihood and climate trade-offs in Kenyan peri-urban vegetable production
Published by Agricultural Systems Journal,
This study investigates productivity and economic and climate trade-offs in soil fertility management strategies in smallholder African indigenous vegetable production in Kenya. Soil fertility management strategies that mix inorganic and organic source present a pathway to sustainable intensification in AIV production. »
Emergency vegetable seed interventions: Can we expect improved nutrition and income generation among beneficiaries?
Published by Seed System,
This report examines whether vegetable seed interventions lead to better family nutrition and help families generate income during a crisis. The article states that it still does not know if and how vegetable seed interventions impact beneficiaries' nutritional status and income in either the short or long term. »
Farmers’ perspectives: Impact of climate change on African indigenous vegetable production in Kenya
Published by International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management,
This study aims to understand farmers’ perceptions of how the climate is changing is vital to anticipating its impacts. Famers were aware of the moderate effect of climate on AIVs. The current volatility in rainfall patterns has made it difficult for farmers to plan their cropping calendare to suit the changes. »
Competitiveness of the Ghanaian vegetable sector: Findings from a farmer survey
Published by IFPRI,
This study looks broadly at the state of vegetable competitiveness in Ghana; focusing on trade, production, profitability, and marketing. Ghana depends on import to meet local consumption requirements of horticulture foods. Seasonality is one reason that vegetable production cannot meet local demand. »
Protected cultivation of vegetable crops in sub-Saharan Africa: Limits and prospects for smallholders. A review
Published by Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal,
This article presents an overview of the agronomic, economic, and environmental performances of low-tech protected cultivation techniques (PCT) in sub-Saharan Africa. Technology transfer and the adoption of PCT affordable for smallholders are believed to be able to feed the increasing population and fight malnutrition. »
Horticultural exports and food security in Senegal
Published by journal Global Food Security,
This article investigates the effect of horticultural export growth on food security in Senegal. Horticultural exports from developing countries are expanding. While concerns are rising about the consequences of this growth for local food security, there is no empirical evidence that directly measures this impact. »
African leafy vegetables: A review of status, production and utilization in South Africa
Published by journal Sustainability,
This article documents the state of utilization and production of African leafy vegetables (ALVs) in South Africa. ALVs are mostly gathered from the wild, with few selected species being cultivated, usually as part of a mixed cropping system in home gardens or smallholder plots. »
Pathway analysis of vegetable farming commercialization
Published by Economic Journal of Emerging Markets,
This article analyzes factors that determine farmers’ intention to commercialize vegetable farming; and the effect of commercialization on farmers’ income in four major vegetable producing regions of Eastern Indonesia. Results indicate that commercial vegetable farming provides economic advantage in terms of increased income and benefits for the whole rural community. »
An assessment of constraints faced by the farmers in peri-urban vegetable cultivation
Published by International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences,
This article identifies key production constraints faced in peri-urban vegetable cultivation in India. The constraints in practicing peri-urban agriculture were enlisted from practicing farmers, agricultural scientists, and also from literature. Further, all the identified constraints were categorized into five groups: technological, economic, labour, marketing and environmental constraints. »
Modern agri‐food systems, horticultural employment and women’s empowerment
Published by University Göttingen,
This working paper addresses the question of female empowerment through horticultural employment. The transformation of global agri-food systems has led to the increased establishment of export-oriented horticultural plantations in developing countries. These production sites provide employment opportunities for women in rural areas. »
Tapping the economic and nutritional power of vegetables
Published by Global Food Security Journal,
This review article explores the potential for vegetables to provide new opportunities for economic growth for smallholder farmers in low-income countries and to advance food and nutrition security for consumers. »
Development of market opportunities through post-harvest processing of the African indigenous vegetables in Tanzania
Published by African Journal of Business Management,
This research paper examined the challenges associated with production of processed African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) and possible market opportunities. AIVs have gained prominence in the recent past due to nutritional and health benefits. Post-harvest processing of AIVs provides market opportunities for the farmers. »
Making vegetable markets work for smallholders in Myanmar
Published by WUR, Reuver+Co Communication Design,
This case study discusses the 'Making Vegetable Markets Work for the Poor' Program. This program focuses on improving the vegetable market chain throughout Myanmar by utilizing the market systems development approach. The case study explores the collaboration between East–West Seed Myanmar and Mercy Corps. »
Estimates of the willingness to pay for locally grown tree fruits in Cusco, Peru
Published by Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems Journal,
This article presents a choice experiment of the preference of local fruits versus non-local equivalents. Urbanization, changes in the retail sector and economic growth in developing countries may offer new opportunities to build connections between urban consumers and nearby farmers. »
A study on cauliflower based intercropping system
Published by International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences (IJCMAS),
This article studies the performance of cauliflower based intercropping system. The experiment consisted of seven treatments, where one with sole cauliflower as monocrop and in the remaining six French bean, pea, beet, carrot, palak and coriander were included as intercrops with the cauliflower. »
The role of wild fruits and vegetables in delivering a balanced and healthy diet
Published by Food Research International Journal ,
This review explores literature on wild fruits and vegetables with a special emphasis on some of the poorest regions of the world and with the lowest consumption figures of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, it looks at the role of wild fruits and vegetables in the diet with a view to uncover their possible role in delivering a healthy and balanced diet. »
Fruit production and consumption: Practices, preferences and attitudes of women in rural western Kenya
Published by Food Security Journal,
This study identified practices, preferences, attitudes and decision-making for fruit consumption, production, and use of income generated from these activities. Additionally, it assessed the contribution of fruits to closing nutritional gaps in Western Kenya during two different (rainy and dry) seasons. »
What holds vegetables farmers back? Conflict, governance and markets assessment making vegetable markets work for smallholders program
Published by Mercy Corps,
This report used a political economy analysis to provide a nuanced, contextual understanding of the vegetable market system in Myanmar. Overall, the research finds that vegetable farmers are highly vulnerable to a range of factors that limit their willingness to take on risks. This reduces the scope to innovate and to buy good quality inputs. These risks that farmers face should be reduced, for example by recognizing the constaints that farmers operate under, and condering how to promote sustainable and just contract farming. »
Banana as a cash crop and its food security and socioeconomic contribution: The case of Southern Ethiopia
Published by Journal of Environmental Protection,
This article assesses the potential contribution of banana production to food and income security in Southern Ethiopia. The paper also explored the major banana production maximization bottlenecks. »
Container gardens to meet vegetable needs during dry season for reproductive age women and their children in northern Ghana
Published by FASEB journal,
This article investigates the feasibility of producing widely consumed iron rich vegetables using container gardens during the dry season in Ghana. These container gardens can help to overcome limited irrigation capacity and access to land. »
Impact of school gardens in Nepal
Published by Journal of Development Effectiveness,
This article evaluates the combined impact of school gardens linked to complementary lessons and promotional activities about gardening and nutrition. The impact is measured as the nutritional awareness, knowledge, perceptions, eating behaviour and nutritional status of 10- to 15-year-old schoolchildren in Nepal. »
Horticultural exports – a threat or a boost to food security?
Published by Rural 21 Journal,
This article assesses the impact of horticultural exports on food security in the exporting country. Horticultural produce is mostly destined for high-income countries and it contributes to food intake there, however it is unclear what their food security consequences are in the countries of origin. In this article, a variety of direct and indirect effects of horticultural exports on food security in these exporting countries are discussed. »
Creating mutual benefits: examples of gender and biodiversity outcomes in horticultural activities
Published by Bioversity International,
This series of fact sheets features Bioversity International case studies with local NGOs and partners. These case studies illustrate successful outcomes in gender and biodiversity through the use of gender-specific research methods. Three of these factsheets take place in forest and agroforestry landscapes and have interesting lessons for horticultural activities. »
Community forum on employment creation in the horticulture sector in Kenya
Published by INCLUDE,
This report explains the key messages that emerged during the forum on ‘Employment creation in the horticulture sector in Kenya’. This forum was hosted by The Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) in collaboration with the Centre for African Bio-Entrepreneurship (CABE) to encourage the use of research evidence in the formulation of employment creation policies. The forum brought together 35 policy actors, practitioners and researchers. The report covers the features of the horticulture sub-sector, challenges for job creation and strategies to improve employment creation in the sub-sector in Kenya. »
The World Vegetable Center’s approach to household gardening for nutrition
Published by the World Vegetable Center,
Household gardens can help alleviate malnutrition in the developing world when they are linked to nutrition and health initiatives and local support systems. The World Vegetable Center’s strategy aims to address important gaps in the optimal design of household garden interventions. »
Vegetable diversification in cocoa-based farming systems Ghana
Published by Agriculture & Food Security Journal,
This study in the Agriculture & Food Security Journal assessed the extent of diversification of vegetables among farmers in Ghana’s cocoa belt and determined the factors that explain the variability in the diversification indices. It was found that marital status of the household head and total land endowment were the major determinants of diversification. »
Temperature sensitivity of food legumes: a physiological insight
Published by Acta Physiologiae Plantarum Journal,
This review in the Acta Physiologiae Plantarum Journal, describes the progress made towards the adverse effects of abnormal temperatures on various growth stages in legumes and propose appropriate strategies to resolve these effects. Of the various environmental stresses that a plant can experience, temperature has the widest and most far-reaching effects on legumes. »
How promoting consumption of traditional African vegetables affects household nutrition security in Tanzania
Published by Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems Journal,
This article in the Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems Journal studies how promoting of consumption of traditional African vegetables affects household nutrition security in Tanzania. The Good Seed Initiative (GSI) program promoted production and consumption of nutrient-dense traditional African vegetables in Arusha region in Tanzania to reduce malnutrition through diet diversification. The researchers estimated the impact of promotion activities on households, women, and children's dietary diversity. »
Nutrition-sensitive value chains: the case of vegetables in Yayu biosphere reserve, Ethiopia
Published by PROIntenseAfrica,
This report by PROIntenseAfrica provides advice on and prospects of the sustainable intensification of the value chains of different fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia and the potential impacts on the various stakeholders. There is growing recognition of the emergence of a “triple burden” of malnutrition with hunger, overconsumption, and micronutrient deficiency (“hidden hunger”) occurring simultaneously among low-income countries. »
Impact and cost-effectiveness of women’s training in home gardening and nutrition in Bangladesh
Published by Journal of Development Effectiveness,
This study in the Journal of Development Effectiveness quantifies the impact and cost-effectiveness of training poor rural women in Bangladesh in home gardening and nutrition. It was found that the intervention significantly increased vegetable production, vegetable consumption and the micronutrient supply from the garden. »
Assessment of traditional African vegetable production in Burkina Faso
Published by Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development,
Lack of dietary diversity is a key causal factor of malnutrition in Burkina Faso because the population consumes mostly cereals crops. Nutrient‐dense traditional African vegetables provide an excellent means to complement cereal staples for better nutrition, in particular for women and children, as well as for income generation. This study in the Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development characterized the production of traditional African vegetables in Burkina Faso based on a questionnaire administered to 250 respondents. »
Horticultural exports and food security in developing countries
Published by Global Food Security Journal,
This article in the Global Food Security Journal, reviews the channels through which horticultural exports affect food security in developing countries. The authors describe the trends in horticultural export chains and investigate the macro- and micro-level effects on the different components of food security, including availability, access, utilization and stability. »
Impact of nutritional perceptions of traditional African vegetables on farm household production decisions
Published by Experimental Agriculture Journal ,
This paper in the Experimental Agriculture Journal investigates the determinants and pathways for smallholder participation in traditional African vegetable production and identifies entry points for farmers to increase traditional vegetable production by linking nutritional awareness and promotion with potential high value markets. The results of this study provide evidence that farmers tend to grow more African traditional vegetables as compared to other crops based on their increased level of perception towards nutritional value of traditional vegetables along with other factors such as their market value, timely availability of quality certified seeds, willingness to invest in labour, required training for women and better access to credits. »
Policy and institutional frameworks impacting on vegetable seed production and distribution systems in Cameroon
Published by Journal of Crop Improvement ,
This article in the Journal of Crop Improvement assesses policy and institutional frameworks impacting on vegetable seed production and distribution systems to establish benchmark indicators for successful integration and/or diversification of vegetables into existing farming systems in the humid forest area of Cameroon. »
Determinants and welfare effects of smallholder participation in horticultural markets in Zambia
Published by African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics,
This article in the African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, examines smallholder participation in horticultural markets in Zambia, with two main questions in mind: 1) who participates in horticultural markets? and 2) how does participation affect household income and other welfare outcomes? »
Impact of export horticulture farming on per capita calorie intake of smallholder farmers in Eastern and Central Provinces in Kenya
Published by The International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics ,
In attempting to achieve household food security for smallholder farmers, synergies and tradeoffs exist between cash cropping, food cropping and food security. Available evidence on the impact of cash cropping on food security shows mixed results. The objective of this paper was to assess the impact of export horticulture farming on food security of smallholder farmers in Kenya in two provinces in different agro-ecological zones with different resource and infrastructural endowments, crop growing and marketing conditions. »
Biodegradable mulch – a solution for small-scale horticulture?
Published by The international journal Rural 21,
This article in The international journal Rural 21, focusses on the use of  a biodegradable alternative to polyethylene sheeting. Polyethylene sheeting is widely used in vegetable growing to create optimum mulch conditions for seedlings. It helps to control weeds, conserves soil moisture and increases soil temperature which generally has a positive effect on vegetable yield and quality. However, »
Can smallholder fruit and vegetable production systems improve household food security and nutritional status of women? Evidence from rural Uganda
Published by N. Kabunga, S. Ghosh and J.K. Griffiths,
This paper by Nassul Kabunga, Shibani Ghosh and Jeffrey K. Griffiths, aims to empirically infer potential causal linkages between fruit and vegetable (F&V) production, individual F&V intake, household food security, and anemia levels for individual women caregivers of childbearing age. Using a unique and rich dataset collected from rural smallholder Ugandan households, the authors show that the use of a qualitative tool to measure household food insecurity is robust and applicable in other contexts. »
African leafy vegetables: a nutritious income source in Benin
Published by Biodiversity International,
This video ‘L’importance des legumes locaux – The importance of local vegetables’ (in French with English subtitles) on Biodiversity International explains about traditional leafy vegetables in Benin tells us about their important nutritional benefits and how they are grown, bought and sold in local food systems. Furthermore, the video highlights the contribution that these vegetables make to the livelihoods of farmers, market vendors, delivery service providers and other members of the vegetable value chain. »
Analysis of participation of women in horticultural activities
Published by Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research,
This article investigates the involvement of rural women in various horticultural activities. A survey was conducted with 300 respondents of six villages of two districts of Odisha. The present study concludes that women play a significant and crucial role in production of various horticultural crops. Participation of women was higher in various production and post production activities of vegetables than of fruits and flowers. »
Report of INCLUDE’s working conference on building policy-knowledge communities on ‘productive employment in horticultural value chains’
Published by INCLUDE platform,
To build policy-knowledge communities in Africa, the Knowledge Platform on Inclusive Development Policies (INCLUDE) organised a two-day working conference in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference, held on 11-12 May 2015, brought together about 70 policy stakeholders, including Platform members, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from international development organisations and NGOs from Africa and beyond. A policy-knowledge communities... »
Women’s Empowerment in Rwanda: Evaluation of women’s economic leadership through horticulture planting material business
Published by Oxfam,
This report by Oxfam, documents the findings of a quasi-experimental evaluation carried out in March 2014 that sought to assess the impact of the activities of the ‘Women’s Economic Leadership through Horticulture Planting-Material Business’ project. This project was implemented in four districts of Rwanda by Oxfam in partnership with Duterimbere, a local organization, between 2011 and 2014. »
Fruit consumption and production: habits, preferences and attitudes of rural households in Western Kenya
Published by Bioversity International & the World Agroforestry Centre,
Currently, fruit consumption in Eastern Africa is far below recommended allowances and has implications for micronutrient malnutrition while little is known about the patterns and determinants of fruit production, consumption and marketing. The main research question of this paper (PDF) by Bioversity International and the World Agroforestry Centre was therefore: what are key trends in gender-disaggregated preferences, attitudes and decision-making processes of rural households for fruit consumption, production, and income generated from this activity? »
Export horticulture – empowering female small-scale farmers in Kenya?
Published by The Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin ,
This paper in the Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin is the outcome of a study on the international partner project “Changing Gender Roles in Sub-Saharan Horticultural Family Farming” funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. A qualitative case study was carried out to understand the impacts on gender inequality of the integration of horticultural smallholdings into the fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) supply chain to the European market. »
Picking the fruits: Making horticulture sector development in emerging economies more successful
Published by Advance Consulting BV,
The purpose of this paper is to support policy makers, development practitioners and private companies with some guidelines for the design and implementation of successful horticulture development strategies. This discussion paper aims to provide some answers to these key questions: (a) How to assess the business case for horticultural growth and development in an emerging economy? (b) What are feasible options for inclusive growth in different horticultural supply chain arrangements? (c) What sort of external (public) support is required and justifiable to achieve inclusive growth and development? »
How does the fruit and vegetable sector contribute to food and nutrition security?
Published by LEI, F&BKP,
This explorative study looked at the potential of the fruit & vegetable sector for Food and Nutrition Security (FNS). The methodology consisted of a focused literature review mainly concentrated on the following countries: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Indonesia and Vietnam; and semi-structured interviews amongst different growers, traders and workers in the Ethiopian fruit and vegetable sector. The development of the fruits & vegetables sector in developing countries has a positive impact on the FNS of the people engaged in the sector and for urban and rural consumers. »
The African greenhouse: A toolbox
Published by Wageningen University and Research - Greenhouse Horticulture,
This toolbox is to design greenhouse production systems in various climate zones and locations in Africa. he toolbox will result in a number of greenhouse cultivation systems that are most suitable for a given location, weighing perspectives such as greenhouse type, greenhouse installation, climate, production and economic viability. »
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