UK aid is tackling global food insecurity through a new project with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to protect plants from the threat of climate change, pests and diseases.
The new funding will allow scientists to research cutting-edge technology to protect crops and also to produce “super crops” that will be more efficient and withstand the impacts of climate change. For example, one of the projects will work to increase yields by harnessing major advances in photosynthesis.
International Development Secretary Alok Sharma and Bill Gates visited the Sainsbury Lab at the University of Cambridge yesterday (Monday 7 October). They met scientists working on advances in crop engineering to help plants capture nitrogen naturally and grow without the need for chemical fertilisers which can damage the environment.
Nearly 80% of people in the developing world rely on farming for their livelihoods but the impacts of climate change and the damage caused by pests and diseases have left millions struggling to grow enough crops to put food on the table.
