Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH)
Addressing issues of biodiversity, seed systems, and genetic innovation
Low vegetable supplies, especially outside the regular growing season, is a major factor contributing to vegetables being unaffordable to consumers in low- and middle-income countries. Increasing farmers’ access to quality seed of improved, resilient and nutritious vegetable cultivars of a diverse range of species is helping tackle the challenge of low supply.
The priorities of this research area are: (a) to better conserve and use vegetable biodiversity, particularly of traditional vegetables, as a basis for improvement and diversification; (b) to strengthen vegetable seed systems; (c) to develop locally adapted vegetable cultivars meeting local preferences; and (d) to increase farmer adoption of quality vegetable seed of well-adapted cultivars.
In this area, the Initiative works closely with the following partners:
- University Abomey Calavi, Benin
- Institut National Des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), Benin
- Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Tanzania
- Horticultural Crops Research and Development Institute (HORDI), Sri Lanka
- Onesh Seed, Sri Lanka
- International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), The Philippines
Read about the Initiative’s other focus areas: