Towards future collaboration – WorldVeg and COLEAD sign new MoU

Towards future collaboration – WorldVeg and COLEAD sign new MoU

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Marco Wopereis, Director General of WorldVeg, and Jeremy Knops, COLEAD General Delegate, at COLEAD’s headquarters in Brussels on 7 June. The mission of both COLEAD and WorldVeg are highly complementary. Both organizations acknowledge that developing sustainable global food systems is crucial to meet the challenges of poverty, inequality, food insecurity and fragility in the face of climatic and economic shocks. And now they will work more closely together to address these issues.

The World Vegetable Center conducts research, builds networks, and carries out training and promotion activities to raise awareness of the role of vegetables for improved health and global poverty alleviation. Vegetables can alleviate poverty by creating new jobs and new sources of income for farmers and landless laborers, improve health by providing essential micronutrients lacking in diets, enhance learning and working capacities of adults and children through improved diets and health, and improve the sustainability of food production practices by diversifying cropping systems. The Center’s research and development work focuses on breeding improved vegetable lines, developing and promoting safe production practices, reducing postharvest losses, and improving the nutritional value of vegetables.

This partnership aims to leverage the strengths and resources of both organizations to advance sustainable agricultural practices, improve vegetable production, and enhance food security worldwide. The MoU signifies a shared commitment to innovation, research, and development in the vegetable sector, with a focus on supporting smallholder farmers and SMEs, promoting biodiversity, and addressing climate change challenges. By combining COLEAD’s expertise in sustainable development with the World Vegetable Center’s extensive research capabilities, this collaboration promises to foster impactful projects and initiatives that will benefit communities globally.

WorldVeg and COLEAD will now work on a joint value proposition and action plan that aims to promote safe vegetable production for domestic, regional and international markets, stimulate South-South collaboration, engage with regional economic communities and potential funders, and organize joint events.