Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Sweet Potato to wipe out hunger in Africa


It's that love of the Earth and its people that inspired Howard, of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to make a donation of more than $3 million to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. Buffett's goal is to wipe out hunger in Africa. Click for Picture credit and information on developing Sweet Potatoes.
President Dr. ROGER BEACHY of the Danforth Center said the foundation was interested in the work the center was doing and asked it to consider expanding the scope its work.
The first goal of the project is creating a sweet potato that resists two separate viruses. In order to make that happen, scientists at the Danforth Center partnered with sweet potato experts in Peru and Uganda.
"It's essential that we have the folks from Uganda there because they tell us what varieties farmers prefer and they know how to work on the ground with the farmers," said Beachy.
But the team of scientists at the Danforth Center is dedicated to growing the world's best sweet potato, thanks to the generosity of a farmer who hopes to feed the hungry in Africa. Click for the complete story.