ENKHUIZEN, NETHERLANDS – 5 November 2026 – East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT), in partnership with Wageningen Plant Research and SeedNL, announces the launch of Transforming Vegetable Markets (TVM), an innovative 4-year initiative to improve smallholder farmer livelihoods and strengthen the vegetable sector in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Uganda. TVM will also evaluate its impact on smallholder vegetable production, sharing data and evidence on the effects of quality agronomic interventions on farmer progress over time.
With funding from the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TVM will provide direct training in climate-resilient, sustainable vegetable production practices to more than 200,000 smallholder farmers. An estimated 75% of these farmers will adopt improved techniques to increase their productivity and net annual income. By expanding local vegetable production, TVM also aims to improve consumer access to affordable, nutritious vegetables.
In addition to transforming farmers’ livelihoods, the TVM initiative will serve as a learning pilot, expanding what we know about effective interventions. TVM will measure and validate its impact on smallholder vegetable production, with data shared on a public dashboard and through knowledge dissemination events. The initiative will track key metrics—including farmer knowledge acquisition, technique adoption rates, vegetable yields, and income gains—and assess the cost-effectiveness of this farmer support model.
“EWS-KT is excited to embark on this 4-year journey, which builds on our extensive work with smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia and invites cross-country innovations in both farmer training and monitoring and evaluation,” said Stuart Morris, Executive Director of EWS-KT. “We anticipate that TVM’s findings on value for money and scalability will inform future agricultural investments, research, and market development.”
“Wageningen Plant Research is proud to be involved in this innovative program, and to apply our expertise to validate TVM’s data and findings. We expect the learnings from TVM to have far-reaching impact on how to measure and assess farmers’ knowledge development, changes in production methodologies and outputs, and economic outcomes,” said Flip van Koesveld, International Project Manager at Wageningen University & Research.
“As a knowledge broker for the Netherlands seed sector, we are thrilled to broadcast data and learning that will be useful to the global seed sector, public and private institutions, and other sector stakeholders. There is much to be learned from this three-country initiative,” said Willem Schoustra, SeedNL Program Director.
The TVM initiative is funded by DGIS, with additional funding from EWS-KT, and is implemented by a consortium led by EWS-KT alongside Wageningen Plant Research and SeedNL.
About the Directorate-General for International Cooperation
DGIS, the Directorate-General for International Cooperation of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for policy relating to development, climate change, humanitarian aid, and migration, and for the coordination, implementation, and financing of these activities. Learn more.
About East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation
East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) is an independent non-profit foundation that improves the vegetable production and business skills of smallholder farmers by providing training in sustainable and profitable horticultural techniques and farm business planning. In the last decade, EWS-KT has trained more than 1 million farmers in Africa and Asia. Learn more.
About Wageningen Plant Research
A division of Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Plant Research works with industry, government, and other partners to improve how crops are grown, delivered, and used. Its plant research facilities and expertise help create high-quality, resilient crops and smarter cultivation systems that use resources more efficiently. This leads to safe and reliable food, feed, and plant-based materials—produced in ways that support thriving ecosystems and long-term business value. Learn more.
About SeedNL
Founded in 2020 by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, the Dutch Plant Breeders’ Association (Plantum), and the Dutch Potato Organisation (NAO) and hosted by the Netherlands Food Partnership, SeedNL works as a knowledge broker and partnership catalyzer in Dutch seed sector development. Learn more.
