The Role of Vegetables and Legumes in Assuring Food, Nutrition, and Income Security for Vulnerable Groups in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Rising food and nutritional insecurity threatens the livelihoods of millions of poor people,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Vegetable and legume production and consumption are a potent
mechanism for small-scale, disadvantaged farmers to obtain the required nutrients in their diets and
to generate much-needed income through trade. Vegetables and legumes are key sources of nutrients
and health-promoting phytochemicals, providing higher micronutrient contents and a wider
spectrum of essential compounds to meet nutritional and health needs than other food sources.
Diversifying diets with vegetables and legumes is a cheaper, surer, and more sustainable way to
supply a range of nutrients to the body and combat malnutrition and associated health problems
than other approaches that target only a single or a few nutritional factors. Furthermore, vegetables
and legumes often accompany staple crops in meals, and most staple crops are less palatable without
vegetable or legume accompaniments. As a growing world population demands more and higher
quality foods, and as environmental problems such as soil degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity
loss, and climate change become more acute, the need for innovative vegetable and legume research
solutions to improve food and nutritional security cannot be overemphasized