Role of indigenous leafy vegetables in combating hunger and malnutrition

Indigenous leafy vegetables can play an important part in alleviating hunger and malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, but they are often neglected in research. They are important sources of micronutrients including vitamins A and C, iron and other nutrients and are sometimes better nutritional sources than the modern vegetables. The leaves of cultivated plants, such as pumpkins, melons and cowpeas are used as a leafy vegetable, as well as leaves from wild and weedy species from farmers' fields and the veld. These wild and weedy species include amaranth species, Corchorus species and Cleome gynandra amongst others, and all have the potential to be cultivated. The harvested leafy vegetables are perishable, but can be processed and preserved by partial cooking, blanching or drying. This paper provides ecogeographical information and some botanical descriptions; we discuss the importance of leafy vegetables in food security, the monetary value of some of these crops and report on some of the research carried out at ARC-Roodeplaat (Pretoria), South Africa.