Mary Abukutsa-Onyango has identified six local greens - described as African indigenous vegetables - that are very high in nutrients and easy to grow in local conditions.
Her laboratory tests show the vegetables are nutritionally as good, if not better, than the “exotic” greens such as spinach and cabbage, which were introduced to Africa from abroad and have become widely accepted as staples.
A
spiderplant in bloom. The plant is selling in Nairobi supermarkets and
restaurants after years of being spurned by the well-fed as food only
for the poor
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Abukutsa-Onyango’s promotional zeal has resulted in Spiderplant, African Nightshade and Vegetable Amaranth, among others, selling in Nairobi supermarkets and restaurants, after years of being spurned by the well-fed as food only for the poor, and by the poor themselves as alternatives only in times of extreme hunger.
She is one of a growing team of innovative scientists given fellowships by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), a programme aimed at boosting the female talent pool supporting Africa’s women farmers.
With the profile she has had through AWARD, Abukutsa-Onyango is seeing her vegetables also coming on to the table of Kenya’s policy-makers. The Health Ministry, for example, has advised hospitals to include African indigenous vegetables in the diet of HIV-positive patients.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions