Many of the two billion people in the developing world are women farmers who rely on staple crops, such as cassava and maize, for income and to feed their families.
Many of these crops are deficient in micronutrients, which can lead to significantly lower birth weight, a decrease in cognitive development, and increased susceptibility to diseases. Vitamin A deficiency alone threatens an estimated 43 million children under age 5 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although all sweet potatoes are excellent sources of carbohydrates, fibers, macronutrients, and many vitamins, only the orange-fleshed varieties are also very high in vitamin A. Improved varieties of this crop are proving to be easy to grow and thrive in Africa’s harsh climate—where drought, disease, and pests plague many staple crops.
Through our Agricultural Development initiative, we are studying the best ways to disseminate the more nutritious varieties of sweet potatoes to farmers and their families.
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