World Vegetable Center

12/06/2026

🌱Even where conventional agriculture is impossible, vegetables can still thrive.

New research explores how families are growing food in remarkably small spaces - in this case, the crowded refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Rohingya refugee families living in the camps improved household food security by growing vegetables in sacks, rooftop plots and recycled containers.
The research demonstrates that even where land is scarce, simple, low-cost gardening approaches can help families access fresh produce, build resilience and create opportunities for learning and connection.

This research was carried by WorldVeg in partnership with Concern Worldwide, and Grameen Bikash Foundation. It focused on a project by the International Rescue Committee and Concern Worldwide, implemented by the Society for Health Extension and Development (SHED).

The results tell an encouraging story. Swipe for the key findings.

🔎Be inspired: https://www.worldveg.org/rohingya-refugee-food-securtiy-vegetable-garden/

10/06/2026

05/06/2026

“Sorry, IPM. It’s over.” 🐛

That’s not something you’d expect to hear from a scientist who has spent years working on sustainable crop protection.

In a bold 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲 reflection, WorldVeg scientist Dr. Srinivasan Ramasamy argues that after decades of investment, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has struggled to achieve widespread adoption among smallholder farmers.

Instead, he calls for a new approach: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐌).

In order to know how to pronounce it, listen to the audio or follow the link below to read the full op-ed 😂

But the idea is simple: stop fighting pests only after they appear and start building healthier, more resilient crops from the beginning -through quality seeds, healthy soils, biodiversity, biological solutions, and smarter farming practices.

Protecting the environment isn’t just about reducing harm. It’s about designing food systems that work with nature, not against it.

This , let’s rethink how we grow food—and how we can make sustainable solutions practical, affordable, and accessible for farmers everywhere.

🔗Be inspired: https://bit.ly/worldveg_iphem

🔎Frontier article: https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2026.1748643

04/06/2026

🔍 Read the full story:
https://www.croptrust.org/news-events/news/sweetpotato-leaves-a-la-singida/

01/06/2026

From seed systems to urban food systems, vegetables were firmly on the agenda at and 2026 in Bangkok!

The WorldVeg contributed to two panel discussions exploring some of the major transitions shaping food systems in Asia:

🫘𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Discussions highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, biodiversity conservation, access to quality seed, and stronger seed systems to support climate resilience and food security.

🥬𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: Moderated by our Director for Global Engagement, Delphine Larrousse, the session explored how cities, and especially Bangkok, can better integrate vegetables into urban planning to support greener, healthier, and more resilient urban environments.

Across discussions, one message was clear: vegetables are no longer peripheral crops, they are increasingly recognized as essential for nutrition, resilience, more diverse and sustainable food systems.

Great exchanges with partners including Metropolitan Administration, West Seed Knowledge Transfer, , , and many more. Thanks to the organizers Asia Pacific.

World Vegetable Center - East and Southeast Asia

29/05/2026

⚡ Yesterday, much of the WorldVeg headquarters went temporarily quiet during a scheduled power shutdown by Taiwan Power Company.

Lights off. Air conditioning off. Coffee machines off ☕😅

But one place stayed fully powered: our International Vegetable Genebank.

Inside are more than 55,000 vegetable seed samples collected from around the world. These seeds are stored under carefully controlled temperature and humidity conditions to ensure they remain safely conserved. A backup energy system keeps the cold rooms running in the event of a power outage - scheduled or otherwise.

Why does this matter?

Because these tiny seeds may hold traits needed for future crops — from heat and drought tolerance to better nutrition and disease resistance. Many have already been used in breeding programs by WorldVeg and others. 🌱

So while much of the campus took a short power break yesterday, the seeds kept chilling.

29/05/2026

🌱 Amaranth has long been valued as a nutritious, climate-resilient crop — but compared with staples like wheat or maize, it remains underused globally.

Now, researchers led by the University of York have developed the first inter-specific amaranth pangenome, giving breeders new tools to work with the crop’s rich genetic diversity.

WorldVeg contributed expertise and a MAGIC amaranth population to support breeding for better yield, resilience, and nutrition.

A step forward for crops that could play a bigger role in future food systems. 👣

🔎Read more: https://www.worldveg.org/magic-contributes-amaranth-pangenome/

26/05/2026

🌍 Real incomes. Real businesses. Real impact.

Through SafeVeg, vegetable producers in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali have increased production and are earning more. Vegetables really mean business!

💚 Be inspired: https://www.worldveg.org/vegetable-business-networks-income-for-west-africa-farmers/



WorldVeg/WCA

21/05/2026

✨ 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫!

Ethiopia has officially approved and released its first two kale varieties - a major milestone for nutrition, seed systems, and farmer livelihoods.

The varieties K14 and K18 give farmers access to high-yielding, locally adapted kale that can be harvested up to nine times in a single season.

The milestone was achieved through collaboration between WorldVeg, EIAR-Kulumsa, and regional agricultural research partners across Tigray, Amhara, and Debre Birhan.

📰 Read more: https://www.worldveg.org/ethiopia-vegetable-kale-varieties/

13/05/2026

🌱 Celebrating Collaboration, Innovation, and 10 Years of Partnership! 🌏

The 𝐀𝐏𝐒𝐀–𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐕𝐞𝐠 𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐦 celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026 — a milestone made possible through the trust, collaboration, and shared commitment of our partners across Asia and beyond.

Since the Consortium began in 2017, membership has grown from 19 members to 61 members in 2025, with a total of 17,544 seed samples distributed to support vegetable breeding and innovation. Thank you to all our partners for helping make this journey possible.

This year’s Annual Workshop was held at WorldVeg headquarters in Taiwan on 5–6 May, bringing together more than 60 participants from 33 seed companies across 11 countries, alongside over 20 WorldVeg scientists and staff, for two inspiring days of learning, exchange, and collaboration.

Participants joined sessions on tomato, pepper, cucurbit, and okra breeding, evaluated promising new varieties in the field, toured the Genebank and Speed Breeding Facility, visited the ToBRFV special tomato demo greenhouse, and explored exciting new research initiatives. 🌶️🥒🍅🌱

More than just a workshop, the event created valuable opportunities to connect, share ideas, and strengthen partnerships, shaping the future of vegetable breeding. As disease pressure and climate challenges continue to grow, strong collaboration between public breeding programs and the seed industry remains more important than ever.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated, shared insights, and continued to support collaborative vegetable breeding across Asia. We are excited for the next chapter together — and hope to welcome many new faces in 2027! 💚

🔗 Join the APSA–WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium:
https://web.apsaseed.org/benefits-of-apsa-membership