Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany and partners in East Africa implemented a project entitled “Diversifying food systems: Horticultural Innovations and Learning for Improved Nutrition and Livelihood in East Africa” (HORTINLEA).

Under this project, ACTS collaborated with Humboldt University to undertake a study on “embedding gender in horticultural value chains to reduce the productivity gap”. The study was undertaken by 3 female PhD students who where supervised by ACTS. The main outputs of this projects were: 3 female PhD students successfully completed and 3 policy briefs

African indigenous vegetables (AIVs; sometimes also termed African leafy vegetables, ALVs) have a great potential for effective poverty reduction and as a source of income for smallholders in Kenya, but this potential is currently underused. Cultivation of these leafy vegetables can have a positive effect on the local economy and could become an important part of a balanced diet for the inhabitants of the poorer regions of the country. As part of the German-Kenyan joint research project HORTINLEA, research has been ongoing since 2013 into the various factors relevant to food security within the AIV value chain. HORTINLEA is an interdisciplinary project comprising many different German and African partners. The project involves developing strategies to increase the production, quality, marketing and consumption of indigenous leafy vegetable species and to improve the efficiency of value chains. The ultimate aim of these activities is to contribute to a reduction in 'hidden hunger' and to improve the nutritional quality of food.

Cooperation Structure of HORTINLEA