Traditional vegetables for climate resilience

Across Zambia, smallholder farmers are facing increasing pressure from climate change. Changing rainfall patterns, drought, and declining agricultural productivity are affecting rural livelihoods and putting pressure on local maize-dominated food systems.

At the same time, many locally adapted vegetable crops with strong potential for nutrition and climate resilience remain underdeveloped. Traditional African vegetables (TAVs), including crops such as amaranthus, African eggplant, pumpkin leaves, and bean leaves, are well suited to local growing conditions and play an important role in traditional diets.

Yet despite their potential, TAV production remains largely dependent on informal seed systems. Limited access to reliable, high-quality seed and fragmented supply chains restrict farmers' ability to increase production, improve incomes, and supply wider markets. Historically, breeding efforts for many of these crops have focused primarily on their fruits or roots, rather than the leafy vegetables commonly consumed in local diets. Today, improved varieties bred specifically for leaf production are becoming available, creating an opportunity to scale their cultivation. Many traditional African vegetables are naturally well adapted to local growing conditions, with greater tolerance to heat and drought than many commonly cultivated vegetable crops. Combined with improved seed varieties and water-efficient production practices such as drip or mist irrigation, they offer a promising pathway towards more climate-resilient vegetable production.

Unlocking this potential requires stronger seed systems, market development, and investment.

This is where Starke Ayres Zambia Limited comes in.

Starke Ayres is an established vegetable seed company that supports farmers by providing access to quality seeds, technical expertise, and agricultural solutions. Part of the wider Starke Ayres group, the company builds on more than 100 years of experience in vegetable seed development and a strong presence across Southern and Eastern Africa.

Through this project, Starke Ayres aims to develop a commercially viable traditional African vegetable seed value chain in Zambia. By combining improved seed varieties focused on these crops, farmer support, and market development (including retail access, extension programmes, and marketing), the company aims to increase access to resilient crops that contribute to more diverse and nutritious food systems.

The model also creates an opportunity to strengthen agricultural biodiversity by promoting the sustainable use of locally adapted crops that have historically received limited commercial investment.

“This is a meaningful step toward our group’s ambition of feeding the continent, while building the systems and capabilities required for our next phase of sustainable growth,” said Mark Stokes, Managing Director of Starke Ayres.

Through the DFCD Origination Facility, Starke Ayres will receive a €107,000 grant to develop and validate an investment-ready model for scaling Traditional African vegetable seed systems.

The support is designed to strengthen the business's commercial viability and impact, reduce investment risks, and prepare Starke Ayres for an anticipated €2.5 million in debt financing.

The grant will support activities including:

• Assessing local and regional demand, existing and potential new distribution channels, and market opportunities for TAVs.

• Testing seed performance, climate resilience, productivity, and farmer adoption.

• Strengthening collaboration with farmers, agro-dealers, research institutions, and regulators to contribute to supply chain optimisation and in-situ biodiversity conservation of gene pools.

• Assessing environmental, social, governance, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) opportunities and risks.

• Developing the financial model and investment documentation required to mobilise long-term financing.

“By helping Starke Ayres strengthen its business model and prepare for scale, DFCD aims to unlock investment into a seed system that can contribute to improved food security, climate resilience, and inclusive growth,” said Lucy Fulgence, Country Director, Zambia and Zimbabwe, SNV.

With full investment, the project aims to contribute to:

• Increased availability and adoption of nutritious traditional African vegetables

• Improved productivity and income opportunities for smallholder farmers through access to quality seeds and training

• Greater resilience to climate change through locally adapted crops

• Conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity

• Increased participation of women and youth across the TAV seed and vegetable value chains

By strengthening the foundations of Zambia’s traditional vegetable sector, the partnership aims to demonstrate how investment in locally adapted crops can support more resilient food systems while creating long-term opportunities for farmers and communities.