A rich harvest of not just legumes but of changed destinies and better nutrition
Charting the 12 year course of the Tropical Legumes project

Ms Zuwena Hamisi Chipangula runs the Tunduru Agro-Dealer shop in Tanzania. Photo: Ndichu J
An engaging read while in lockdown
Sowing Legume Seeds, Reaping Cash: A Renaissance within Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa
(A Springer Open publication. Download here)
This compilation of real-life ‘impact’ stories from the Tropical Legumes projects over the past 12 years makes for an engaging read. You have stories of courage and hope, of women and men overcoming odds to rise above their situations, of people giving back to their communities and the role public-private organizations and research institutes play in bringing in positive and sustainable changes in farming communities and the society.
The book captures the societal impact of the Tropical Legumes project that successfully worked towards developing an efficient seed delivery system for grain legume crops in the semi-arid tropics of Africa and Asia. The stories in this edition focus on a couple of key areas and crops – groundnut and common beans in Tanzania and Uganda, groundnut and cowpea in Nigeria and groundnut in Ghana.
Experiences of stakeholders along the value chain make for an interesting read. “National agricultural research institutes, knowledge brokering organizations, NGOs, public seed companies, private seed companies, agro-dealers, individual seed entrepreneurs, farm implement makers, farmer cooperatives, farmer groups, individual farmers, women farmers, middlemen, processors, traders, and consumers were all involved in this experience. This book provides learning opportunities for development workers, technical staff, and project managers. It will also inspire development workers and project managers to share their own experiences for others to learn from,” says the blurb.
Enjoy the straightforward narration, ignore the spellers and get straight to the heart of the stories. Read the excerpts to get a feel of the book.

Photo: Ndichu J, ICRISATtraders

Photo: Ndichu J, ICRISAT

Ms Apiyo Hellen, a groundnut trader, shows off her roasted groundnut at Arapai market in Soroti, Uganda. Photo: Manyasa E, ICRISAT

Photo: A Diama, ICRISAT
For more on the TL III project read: https://www.icrisat.org/12-years-of-research-on-tropical-legumes/