26 January 2009
African-led project using biotechnology to increase grain harvest
 By Nancy Pontius Special Correspondent Littleton, Colorado - Biotechnology is a key component of a public-private partnership that could save millions of lives by developing drought-tolerant maize for small-scale farming operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
More than 300 million Africans depend on maize as their main food source. The partnership - known as Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) - was formed because crop yields are reduced greatly by frequent droughts in Africa, leading to hunger and poverty.
“This project, conducted mostly in Africa for Africans, will result in improved maize hybrids, yielding an additional 25 percent more grain under moderate drought conditions, compared to the best African seed currently available,” Vanessa Cook, U.S. agricultural company Monsanto’s WEMA project lead, told America.gov.
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