Charity Irungu St Paul’s University

Developing the Value Chain for Neglected and Under-Utilized Species:

A Case Study of Africa Leafy Vegetables around Nairobi

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• Introduction: ALVs and Case study

• Developing a value chain for under-utilised species using a case study of ALVs in Kenya

• Lessons to draw from the case study

• Points for learning and teaching Agro-biodiversity in Universities

Introduction

Over 210 ALV species

Importance of ALVs

– Health (nutritive and medicinal value)

– Economic – Socio-cultural – Contribution to bio-

diversity

Introduction

Production for Market

Irrigated African nightshade - Peri-urban Nairobi

Flowering spider plant for seeds - Kisii

Commercialization of ALVs

• Low commercialization of ALVs in the mid 1990s• This is attributed to a number of factors including

- Low consumer perceptions (poor man’s crop)– Strong fear in Nairobi that ALVs were grown using waste

water– Ignorance of nutritive value– Poor market outlets– Unavailability outside production areas and selected

market outlet frequented by specific tribes– ITK on preparation and preservation eroded with time

Introduction

Value Chain Activities

Solar drying Moringa leaves by a farmers’ group in Kilifi Cowpeas leaves in Nkubu

Market

Ambiguous role of Market development 1

Figure 1: Relative Importance of ALV species in markets within and around Nairobi

32%

10%

9%

8%

7%

15%

19%

African nightshade Amaranth Spiderplant

Cowpeas Mitoo Ethiopian kales

Others

Ambiguous role of Market development 2

Demand drivers of market development

Promotional and awareness activities

Increased general health awareness and consciousness among Nairobi people

Improved ALVs presentation in supermarkets and upmarket groceries

Results

Supply drivers of market development

Production promotion in growing areas

Provision of external market support to farmers

Capacity for self organisation (farmers’ groups)

Vertical coordination through the supply chain

Improvement in communication technology

Results

Inhibiting factors of ALV market dev

Are mainly factors associated with market and policy failures

Physical Infra-structural development-Poor Roads, lack of market space, storage

facilities Lack of policy guideline and support from the

government Lack of capacity to regulate supply Lack of value-adding aspects Lack of support services (credit, market

information, etc.)

Results

Lessons from the case study

• Exploratory survey (Biodiversity)• Value chain, supply chain and market potential

analysis• Influence demand and match it with supply• Capacity building for horizontal coordination

(producer organizations)• Improve traditional markets• Link the POs to high value supply chains• Influence policy in favour of SSF and pro-poor

marketing• Rural support services

Learning points in the Agro-biodiversity studies (value chain development )

Biodiversity conservation (what/why)Marketing issues and the market systemPro-poor growth, market and rural

livelihoods Agro-value chain analysis and management Agribusiness supply chainGroup organisation /capacity buildingSupport Services in Agro-value chainsPublic Policy analysis and influence