Science-based agriculture can preserve critical indigenous foods, such as cowpea, matoke (banana), cassava, and common beans, while reducing the environmental impacts of farming. On average, genetically engineered crops have cut chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, boosted farmer profits by 38%, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 12 million cars off the road.
Evidence
Cassava: Perilous past and promising future of a toxic but nourishing crop
A more varied diet would help the world’s economy and its health
World Food Day: Global ceremony highlights the right to nutritious and affordable foods
FAO helps foster new food frontiers with African orphan crops
“Training will build capacity of African scientists and give us modern biotech tools”
The First 100: Celebrating African scientists applying gene editing technologies to transform national food systems
Refugees in East Africa suffer from high levels of depression
Orphan crops key to better diets in Africa: but how to promote them?
Nobel Prize in medicine awarded for discovery of microRNAs, the molecules that control our genes