FOOD security in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia was the focus of a $34 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations fund to a consortium of scientists including CSIRO.
The money will be used as part of the Realising Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency project.
The project aims to end hunger worldwide by improving the complex process of photosynthesis to increase crop production.
CSIRO scientist Jose Barrero said the demand for protein was set to double in places like Africa by 2050, so the focus was on improving staple food crops like cowpea in some of the world’s most disadvantaged and harshest landscapes.
“Cowpea is an important vegetable food source for small holder farmers in Africa where it is a major source of protein,” he said.
CSIRO scientist TJ Higgins added that the goal was to develop better yields to help deliver global food security in light of the expected
population growth in West Africa and the challenging impacts of climate change.
“This new cowpea variety is resistant to an important insect pest, the Maruca pod-borer,” he said.
“We have already seen major improvements in crop productivity in field trials conducted by the project.
“This new research will have an additional impact on reducing hunger and rural poverty.