The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is an international non-profit research-for-development organization. It is the only global institution solely dedicated to vegetable research and development.
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Taiwan, WorldVeg has over 50 years of experience delivering science-based solutions across low- and middle-income countries.
It works via six Action Areas: Climate resilience; Healthy Diets; Vegetable Biodiversity; Economic Empowerment; Urban Food Systems; and Food Safety & Loss Reduction.
With regional offices in Africa, Asia and more recently, Latin America, and country-level operations across multiple continents, WorldVeg maintains a strong on-the-ground presence. It is supported by a global network of public, private, and development partners.
The Center has a proven track record in implementing large-scale, donor-funded projects and programs across Africa and Asia.
WorldVeg’s stewardship of the world’s largest publicly accessible vegetable genebank underpins the Center’s advanced breeding programs.
These develop climate-resilient, nutritious vegetable varieties – including sweet and chili pepper, tomato, pumpkin, mungbean, okra, and amaranth – tailored to diverse agroecological conditions. Participatory approaches ensure that innovations are demand-driven and widely adopted.
The Center’s Open Science approach involves building strategic partnerships with other knowledge institutions, civil society and the private sector. The Center’s international public goods model ensures that research outputs, technologies, and knowledge are widely accessible.
To fully realize its mission, WorldVeg conducts action research on food environments, policy, and consumer behavior, supporting healthier diets for vulnerable populations.
This integrated approach aims to unlock the full potential of vegetables.