AVRDC – the World Vegetable Center is the leading international center for vegetable research and development worldwide. It is a not-for-profit research institute aimed at working towards reducing malnutrition and alleviating poverty in developing countries through improved production and consumption of safe vegetables.

Founded in 1971 as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center with a mandate to enhance vegetable production in the Asian tropics, the World Vegetable Center has taken up a global role in promoting and supporting vegetable research and development in Africa, Asia, and other regions of the world.

The Center builds capacity and forms alliances with partners from both the public and private sectors which have complementary expertise. Engagement in regional and supra-regional networks for research and development helps increase outreach and impact.

Over the past 30 years scientists at the World Vegetable Center have successfully bred cultivars and designed and developed technologies that help increase yields and incomes in developing countries. Millions of farmers today grow vegetable crops using seed or technologies that have been developed at the Center.

Studies document clearly that vegetables are vital for healthier diets and help generate stronger economies which hears relevance especially in developing countries.

Vegetables are an engine for economic growth
Vegetable production provides a way out of poverty for smallholder farmers and the landless. It generates more income and jobs per hectare, on-farm and off-farm, than most other agricultural enterprises. Vegetable production helps diversify income strategies and thus benefits farmers and landless laborers in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas.

Vegetables are vital for combating the “hidden hunger” of
micronutrient malnutrition and for improving health
Micronutrient malnutrition is a daily reality in the lives of millions of people worldwide. The lack of vitamin A, iron, iodine, and zinc compromises the body’s immune system and increases the risk of infections. Over two billion people, most of whom are poor women and children, do not have access to sufficient micronutrients in their diets. Poor diets lead to poor mental and physical development, poor performances at school and the workplace, and the likelihood of poverty in future generations. The consumption of vegetables is the most sustainable strategy to overcome such micronutrient deficiencies, and it is affordable even to the poorest. Vegetables also help to diversify nutrition patterns and fight obesity which is increasing in a rapid pace in both developed and developing countries.

The World Vegetable Center is committed to developing and disseminating technologies that increase everyone's access to safe and affordable vegetables. Here is a quick look at our organization.