'Super seeds’ reach refugees in Uganda

According to this January 2018 article from The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA),

in Uganda, high yielding, drought and disease resilient bean varieties are enabling smallholder farmers and over 1 million South Sudanese refugees to boost production and feed their families. The resilient seeds, known as ‘NAROBEANs’, were bred by the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance, the National Agricultural Research Organization and other international partners, to tackle malnutrition and reduce anaemia in the country.

These NAROBEANs are an excellent illustration of the benefits biodiversity offers; the importance of conserving it; and putting helpful traits to use. Though the piece is relatively brief, it is easy to understand the crucial role of bean diversity in this tale, specifically the collection conserved at CIAT (a Food Forever Partner Organization) and their collaborative efforts to harness its value and transform a vulnerable way of life.