Kenyan horticulturist Professor Mary Abukutsa’s decades of work on indigenous African vegetables were recognised on the highest level when she won the 2025 Africa Food Prize at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on 3 September. The award, worth US$100,000, is the continent’s top honour for individuals and institutions driving change in Africa’s food systems. Abukutsa was recognised for more than three decades of work on African indigenous vegetables, researching and promoting crops such as the leafy greens jute mallow and African nightshade. These crops were once seen as marginal but are now valued for their high nutritional content and resilience to climate change. 

Abukutsa’s efforts have helped integrate these vegetables into policy debates, local markets, and academic research, making them important tools in the fight against malnutrition.At Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), she leads a consortium using climate-smart approaches to expand production and commercialisation of indigenous vegetables in counties such as Kakamega and Kiambu in Kenya. The project is boosting farmers’ incomes while preserving biodiversity. 

For Professor Abukutsa, the recognition is a milestone that she hopes will boost appreciation and investment in Africa’s indigenous crops. She spoke to University World News about her achievements.

UWN: What does winning the 2025 Africa Food Prize mean to you? 

MA: It is a profound honour. This award is the continent’s foremost recognition of individuals and institutions transforming farming from a struggle for survival into a thriving enterprise. For me, it affirms that African indigenous vegetables are central to the transformation of African food systems. What were once dismissed as ‘poor man’s food’ are now recognised as global superfoods capable of addressing hunger, malnutrition, non-communicable diseases, and poverty. 

This recognition is not mine alone. It belongs to the farmers, consumers, students, researchers, development partners, institutions, and governments who have worked tirelessly to reposition African indigenous vegetables on the global stage. It is also the fulfilment of a dream I held since the age of 10 – that these vegetables would be valued and accessible to all who need them for food, nutrition, health security, and economic empowerment. The award underscores their pivotal role in transforming food systems and the need to fully unlock their potential in addressing today’s global challenges. 

UWN: Briefly describe the work that earned you this award. 

MA: African indigenous vegetables are crops whose primary or secondary origin is Africa and which have been used by local communities for centuries. Traditionally collected in the wild, semi-cultivated, or cultivated, they have long been an integral part of food and nutritional security, as well as cultural heritage. Yet colonial and post-colonial policies emphasised exotic vegetables for export, threatening these crops with extinction. They were often viewed as food for the poor and deemed unworthy of research or policy support. 

Beginning in 1992 at JKUAT and later at Maseno University, I initiated a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, and participatory research programme that continues to this day. Over three decades, my work has involved germplasm collection and evaluation, agronomic and nutritional studies, baseline surveys across African countries, and the development of production and preservation techniques. 

I have coordinated or contributed to over 20 major research projects, registered nine new vegetable varieties, trained more than 50,000 farmers, and built capacity among 200 researchers and policymakers. Importantly, this work influenced policy in Kenya and beyond, resulting in strategies and recommendations that placed African indigenous vegetables at the centre of nutrition and health. 

UWN: Why are African indigenous vegetables so important for the continent today? 

MA: These vegetables are nutrient-dense, providing high levels of vitamins A, C, B-complex, and E, as well as key minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc. They contain proteins that are valuable in predominantly plant-based diets. They also offer health benefits: from boosting immunity to reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases, thanks to the antioxidants and fibre they contain. 

From an agronomic perspective, they thrive in organic systems, have short growth cycles, and are highly resilient, making them well-suited to climate-smart agriculture. Economically, they hold vast potential in both domestic and export markets. In short, African indigenous vegetables offer a combination of nutritional, health, environmental, and economic advantages that make them indispensable for the continent’s future. 

UWN: How has your research changed the way people view and use these vegetables?

MA: Through advocacy, training, and public awareness campaigns, more people now appreciate the health benefits of African indigenous vegetables. What was once considered the food of the poor is now embraced by health-conscious consumers, including young people who see both the nutritional and income-generating potential of these crops. 

In Kenya, for example, production has reached 300,000 metric tonnes annually yet demand still exceeds supply in both domestic and export markets. This shift reflects the growing recognition of these vegetables as vital for health and livelihoods. 

UWN: What challenges did you face in pushing for recognition of these crops? 

MA: One of the major challenges was the negative mindset that surrounded African indigenous vegetables. Many people dismissed them as food for the poor, with little nutritional or economic value. In addition, the lack of quality seed, misinformation about their benefits, and the absence of supportive policies made it difficult to promote their use. Training and capacity-building on these vegetables were also inadequate in agricultural colleges and institutions, resulting in generations of professionals lacking the necessary knowledge to advance this field. Overcoming these obstacles required persistent advocacy, research, and awareness-building. 

UWN: How have farmers and local communities benefited from your work? 

MA: They have more access to quality seed, which has boosted production and productivity. The dissemination of agronomic information has enabled better farming practices, while the introduction of simple preservation methods, such as solar drying, has reduced postharvest losses and ensured availability even during dry seasons. 

Standardised recipes have improved consumption and nutrition outcomes, particularly among vulnerable groups. Importantly, youth and women engaged in the production and marketing of these vegetables have gained significant economic empowerment, turning indigenous crops into a viable source of income and livelihood. 

UWN: What role has JKUAT played in advancing this research? 

MA: JKUAT has provided an enabling environment for research on African indigenous vegetables. The institution has supported this work by offering access to research farms, laboratories, and policies that encourage innovation. Additionally, JKUAT has established significant platforms for disseminating findings to the public, including scientific conferences, university open days, and participation in agricultural shows and trade fairs. Through these avenues, research outputs and innovations have reached farmers, students, policymakers, and the broader public, amplifying the impact of the work. 

UWN: How do you plan to use this award to expand your work? 

MA: This award presents an opportunity to scale up and deepen the work on African indigenous vegetables across Africa. Working with partners in other African countries and the World Vegetable Center, I plan to develop an inventory of indigenous vegetables in each country and highlight their nutritional, agronomic, and economic attributes in a simple, accessible atlas. 

I also hope to expand the upscaling of climate-smart technologies that have already shown success in counties like Kakamega and Kiambu. Extending such initiatives to other regions in Kenya and across Africa will help ensure sustainable production, better nutrition, and improved livelihoods. 

UWN: What opportunities do you see for young researchers in this field? 

MA: There is enormous potential for young researchers to build on the foundation laid in this field. Opportunities exist in areas such as plant breeding, biotechnology, organic agriculture, food systems research, and detailed nutritional studies of indigenous vegetables. Programmes like the EU-funded ORPHAN project, [ORPHAN refers to crops that are traditionally underutilised or neglected by mainstream agricultural research and funding, despite their high potential for nutrition, resilience, and climate adaptation], which supports postgraduate training across multiple African countries, are already nurturing the next generation of scientists. Expanding such initiatives will help create a critical mass of skilled researchers who can champion African indigenous vegetables as a central part of Africa’s food systems. 

UWN: What is your long-term vision for African indigenous vegetables in food systems? 

MA: My long-term vision is to establish knowledge, demonstration, and mentoring centres of excellence for African indigenous vegetables across the continent, starting in Kenya. These centres would ensure that the progress made so far is sustained and scaled for future generations. I also envision building vibrant information platforms, especially on social media, to engage young people as ambassadors of indigenous vegetables. With their energy and creativity, the youth can help sustain interest, awareness, and demand, ensuring that these crops play their rightful role in transforming African food systems for better nutrition, health, and economic prosperity. 

Additionally, the next steps must focus on scaling up ongoing initiatives and anchoring indigenous vegetables firmly within Africa’s food systems. 

It is equally important to encourage more counties in Kenya to prioritise African leafy vegetables in their development plans under a national African leafy vegetables value chain development strategy. At the continental level, the African Vegetables Biodiversity Rescue Plan 2025-35 offers a roadmap, and I intend to work with partners across Africa, led by the World Vegetable Centre, to implement it. These steps, combined with innovation and partnerships, will help ensure that indigenous vegetables reach their full potential in addressing Africa’s food, nutrition, and economic challenges. 

Original article written by Scovian Lillian and published in University World News.