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Abstract

The prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies continues to remain alarmingly high in sub-Saharan Africa. One potential solution to undernutrition is to promote the consumption of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) that are rich in vitamin A, iron, zinc and other health promoting phytochemicals. However, due to limited advances in agronomic practices, seed development, available improved varieties, and access to these indigenous plants in the marketplace, work was needed to drive AIVs into the formal marketplace to meet consumer demand. This paper summarizes the research and activities of a diverse group of stakeholders and researchers who came together to improve research, management, production, distribution, and consumption of nutritious AIVs in Eastern Africa. We hypothesized that good management techniques along the AIV value chain from seed to consumption would be essential to improving access and availability of AIVs for food and income insecurity. In parallel, we hypothesized that by increasing the supply of nutrient dense AIVs into the local markets, and by empowering women, who are the major decision makers on household diets, the sales of AIVs will increase the availability, accessibility and consumption of vegetables, conferring various micronutrients and health-relevant phytochemicals to both the farming and nonfarming consumer communities. Community needs were assessed to design, implement, and evaluate context-specific nutrition and production behavioral change communications (BCC) to increase AIV production and consumption. Nutrition interventions were administered to 500 households in both Kenya and Zambia. Production training was administered to 1563 farmers in Kenya and 1421 farmers in Zambia. Through the five-year project period, we monitored and evaluated training impact and improved germplasm on yield and sales and continued to improve outreach efforts to maximize results. At the end of a five-year period we observed an increase in sales, distribution centers, and consumer acceptance of AIVs. In addition, we quantified the nutritional and antinutritional aspects of major AIVs. In conclusion, the use of AIV as the focus of the study through a market-first science driven model to improved access, availability, affordability, and consumption and increased income for farmers and other players along the AIV value chain.

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