Kenya successfully hosted the first All Africa Horticulture Congress in Nairobi at the Safari Park Hotel. Attendance (with over 400 participants) exceeded expectations. ISHS was formally represented at this event by Jozef Van Assche, Executive Director (third from left on the picture) who delivered a much appreciated talk on horticulture in a global perspective with emphasis on the African continent.
The African horticulturists often attending ISHS international events elsewhere had agreed on the need for a specific African event on horticulture: a need for valorizing experiences and achievements through research projects and case studies, a need for expressing constraints and expectations, a needs for coordinating efforts and prospective strategies. Additional thoughts and debates amongst horticultural stakeholders have convinced them that the whole value chain should be highlighted at the Congress, offering a unique and regular opportunity for deep and direct exchanges between the diverse partners: academic institutions, public research and development organizations, and business actors who include all types of farmers.