Common Bean
This is the most important food legume for more than
300 million people, most of them in Latin America, where
the crop was domesticated, and in Africa. Rich in protein,
iron, and other dietary necessities, the common bean
(Phaseolus vulgaris) has come to be known as
the nearly perfect food. In addition to bolstering human
nutrition, it has considerable economic importance,
generating income for millions of small farmers. In
Africa the vast majority of bean producers are women.
(More information)
Visit our Bean Improvement
Web site.
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Cassava
A hardy root crop of tropical American origin, cassava
(Manihot esculenta) provides food and livelihoods
for about 500 million people across the developing world.
Farmers particularly appreciate its strong tolerance
of drought and poor soils. Some countries are tapping
the potential of cassava's starchy roots for processing
into animal feed or for industrial use. Thus, in addition
to strengthening food security, the crop offers new
opportunities to generate employment and income for
the poor.
(More information)
Visit our Cassava Improvement
Web site (in Spanish) and the Web site of Sustainable
Cassava Production Systems in Asia.
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Tropical Forages
The many species of tropical forages are a prominent
feature of agricultural landscapes around the world.
Improved forage grasses and legumes boost meat, milk,
and fish production, helping to enhance human nutrition
and raise farm income. But they also have many other
uses beyond their traditional role in livestock production.
Nitrogen-fixing legumes, for example, enhance soil fertility,
increasing the productivity of other crops.
(More information)
Visit our Tropical Forages
Web site.
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Rice
Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important food
grain in most of the tropical areas of Latin America
and the Caribbean, where it supplies more calories in
people's diets than wheat, maize, cassava, or potatoes.
More efficient rice production is a central prerequisite
for bettering the lot of the region's urban and rural
poor.
(More information)
Visit our Rice Improvement
Web site.
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Tropical Fruits
An estimated 2,300 tropical fruit species show production potential.
Some of them offer small farmers the opportunity to
break into lucrative domestic and export markets, while
at the same time improving family nutrition and land
management.
Visit our Tropical
Fruits Web site.
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