Great to see a project on African Leafy Vegetables in western Kenya in the running for the Farming for Biodiversity prize at Solution Search. Here’s what they say about return on investment:
The ROI is 39%. The budget was US $150,000 for 2 years. Returns from the sale of ALVs amount to $52,200 per season, for 4 planting seasons. The biggest return, however, is the farmers renewed sense of empowerment. “I never imagined I could go out and find a market for my veggies” said Ms. Joyce Okwara from Busia, as well as improved nutrition in schools and clinics. Funds supported a feasibility workshop to discuss limits and opportunities of linking farmers to institutional markets, the development of a farmer business school and its subsequent rolling out, the acquiring and distribution of certified ALV seed to farmers and nutrition education in local schools and clinics. Additional funds would allow the scaling-up of this model.
Good luck to the Sustainable Income Generating Investment Group (SINGI) in Busia! Vote for them!
Great..! Good luck. Hope it will improve local good diversification, family nutrition and welfare.
Good initiative. It would be also good to do nutritional characterization. I had the same idea in Nigeria and Ghana bcs farmers grow native vegetables intercropped with yam but we culdnt get funds. It also could be a source for breeding them with low cost instead to biofortify starchy roots at very high cost.