Characterizing Organisational Linkages In The African Indigenous Vegetable Value Chains In Kenya

African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) have the potential to contribute substantially to food and nutrition security in Kenya because of their high nutritious value for alleviating the wide spread hidden hunger. However there is a limited pool of knowledge on the AIV-innovations, this exploratory study introduces a graph-theoretic method for assessing linkages between organisations along the AIV value chains with an aim of identifying pathways of interactions between organisations. Information sharing, knowledge and resource flows were used as proxies to connote linkage. Empirical results show that the linkages between the organisations do exist, the pathway in the AIV value chain was found to be top-down approach, the organsations giving grants set the agenda with the research organisations after which information, knowledge and resource flows were passed to the marketing and extension service organisation. Then next can the processing and policy organisation and finally to the producer organisations. In this system, the producer organisation did not demand for information, knowledge and resources and thus the agenda was set for them, implying that there limited information sharing, knowledge and resource flows along the ALV value chain organisations. The role of policy is creating an enabling environment - in this study interpreted as access to information, knowledge and resources - is critical in ensuring that the organisation along the value chain have access to the information and resources needed to promote the production and utilisation of these vegetables. The envisioned optimal pathway then would be one that provides for a feedback mechanism and may not follow a linear one-sided module. Strengthening and empowering producers, extension service and marketing organisations is critical for the uptake and adaptation of inclusive innovations and technologies along the AIV value chains.