The U.S. Department of Agriculture Friday awarded five grants
totaling $4.5 million in support of research to improve the
production of the common bean, a main staple produced throughout
food insecure areas of the world, including East and Southern
Africa. The awards were made by USDA's National Institute of
Food and Agriculture in coordination with the U.S. Agency for
International Development. USAID provided the funds for the
grants. "Over the next 50 years, we will need to produce roughly
as much food for the world's population as has been produced in
the entire history of mankind," said Catherine Woteki, USDA's
Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and
Economics. "A challenge this serious and urgent requires the
best and brightest ideas in food and agricultural science. The
projects awarded today have the potential to unlock those ideas
and improve the production of one of the world's most vital food
crops." The funded projects will work to address challenges to
common bean productio