World Vegetable Center Launches Africa’s First Vegetable Genebank in Tanzania Through Taiwan-Africa Initiative

Kilimokwanza.org Reporters

Landmark Vegetable Genebank Opens in Tanzania

A groundbreaking achievement for African agriculture arrived in March 19 2024 with the inauguration of Africa’s first Vegetable Genebank in Arusha, Tanzania. This initiative, spearheaded by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) as part of the Taiwan-Africa Vegetable Initiative (TAVI), marks a giant leap forward in safeguarding the continent’s vegetable diversity.

Taiwan’s Commitment to Food Security

Taiwan’s generous funding, through its Ministry of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs, made this critical project possible. This collaboration highlights Taiwan’s dedication to fostering global agricultural development and food security, especially in regions facing climate change and biodiversity loss.

Preserving Tradition and Building Resilience

The genebank prioritizes the conservation of indigenous and traditional vegetable varieties threatened by commercial farming and climate change. Safeguarding these genetic resources will not only preserve plant diversity but also provide invaluable materials for breeding programs. This will lead to the development of more resilient and nutritious vegetable varieties, ultimately improving food security and nutrition in Africa.

A Hub for Innovation and Education

Strategically located in Arusha, Tanzania, a hub for African agricultural research, the genebank is equipped with cutting-edge technology for seed storage, research, and propagation. It will also serve as a center for learning, offering training programs to empower researchers, farmers, and agricultural professionals across Africa. This initiative is poised to impact agricultural practices and food security throughout the continent significantly.

International Collaboration: A Beacon of Hope

The partnership between Taiwan and Africa through TAVI exemplifies a global approach to tackling malnutrition and poverty. Taiwan’s significant investment in upgrading the genebank facilities and staff reflects their broader strategy of promoting sustainable agriculture and food security in partner countries.

Building a Stronger Future for African Agriculture

The genebank’s arrival is timely as climate change threatens global food security. The genebank offers a critical resource for developing new, climate-resilient varieties by conserving a wide variety of vegetable germplasm. This genetic diversity is essential for breeding programs that enhance crop resilience, nutritional quality, and yield potential.

Empowering Farmers for a Sustainable Future

The genebank will directly support local farmers by providing access to diverse and resilient seed varieties. This will improve crop yields and income, reducing poverty and economic development. Additionally, the genebank will facilitate research on best practices for vegetable cultivation, pest management, and sustainable farming. This knowledge transfer will empower farmers to increase productivity and sustainability.

Aligning with SAGCOT’s Vision

The genebank’s mission resonates strongly with Tanzania’s SAGCOT Centre, whose core objectives include enhancing food security, improving nutritional outcomes, and boosting economic growth. Tulalumba Mloge, representing SAGCOT at the inauguration, emphasized the genebank’s potential to achieve these goals.

Mloge Praises the Initiative

Mloge, Principal Executive Assistant to the SAGCOT Centre CEO and an agricultural economics expert, applauded the inauguration. She highlighted the collaborative effort between WorldVeg and TAVI, calling it a “pivotal step forward” in protecting Tanzania’s vegetable biodiversity.

Safeguarding the Future of Agriculture

Mloge emphasized the genebank’s significance beyond seed storage. “It’s a beacon of hope for the future of African agriculture,” she stated. Preserving indigenous varieties ensures their availability for future generations, crucial in the face of climate change threats to food security.

A Sustainable Future for All

Mloge concluded by underlining the alignment between the genebank and SAGCOT’s mission. She stressed the importance of knowledge and resource sharing in combating malnutrition and poverty, ultimately fostering a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.

A gene bank is a type of biorepository that preserves genetic material for future use. The genetic material stored in gene banks can include seeds, tissues, or genetic information from various organisms, with the primary goal of conserving biodiversity and genetic diversity. Gene banks are crucial for safeguarding plant and animal species that may be at risk of extinction due to environmental changes, disease, or human activities.

Types of Genetic Material in Gene Banks:

1. Seed Banks: These store seeds under controlled conditions to ensure their longevity and viability. Seeds from various plant species, particularly crops and wild relatives, are preserved to protect against the loss of genetic diversity and to provide material for breeding programs that aim to develop new, resilient crop varieties.
2. Field Gene Banks: These maintain live plants in orchards or fields. This method is often used for species whose seeds are difficult to store or for plants that reproduce vegetatively, such as certain fruit trees and tuber crops.
3. Cryobanks: These store genetic material at ultra-low temperatures using liquid nitrogen. Cryopreservation can be applied to seeds, pollen, plant tissues, and even animal germplasm, including sperm and eggs.
4. DNA Banks: These store extracted DNA, which can be used for genetic studies and breeding programs. DNA banks are useful for conserving genetic material that may not be suitable for other types of storage.

Importance and Uses of Gene Banks:

• Biodiversity Conservation: Gene banks play a critical role in preserving the genetic diversity of plants and animals, which is essential for ecosystems’ resilience and adaptability to changing environments.
• Breeding Programs: Genetic material stored in gene banks is used in breeding programs to develop new varieties of crops and livestock that are more productive, disease-resistant, and climate-resilient.
• Research: Gene banks provide a valuable resource for scientific research. Researchers use the genetic material to study plant and animal genetics, evolution, and responses to environmental stressors.
• Restoration: Gene banks can aid in restoring ecosystems and reintroducing extinct species into the wild.

Examples of Notable Gene Banks:

• Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Located in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, this facility is known as the “Doomsday Vault.” It stores duplicate samples of seeds from gene banks worldwide, providing a global backup for crop diversity.
• Millennium Seed Bank Partnership: Managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK, this project aims to collect and conserve seeds from wild plant species around the world.
• International Rice Gene Bank: Located at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, this gene bank holds the largest collection of rice genetic material.

Gene banks are essential for preserving genetic diversity and play a crucial role in agricultural sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and scientific research. By maintaining a diverse repository of genetic material, gene banks help ensure that future generations have the resources needed to address challenges related to food security, environmental changes, and species conservation.

Sources:

• FAO: Gene banks