Sweetpotato, a model for food-security and long-term conservation of biodiversity
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Main Project
VALUE £599,999
WHERE Zambia, Peru, Madagascar, Kenya
Summary
Sweetpotato, a vital subsistence crop in Africa, has high micronutrient content and adaptive qualities for many farming systems, making it a globally critical component of food security. However, the unique diversity of sweetpotato landraces in low-income countries is poorly conserved and vanishing. This project introduces a robust methodology to conserve and use sweetpotato genetic diversity as a model for the long-term, secure conservation of clonal crops, many of which are essential to smallholder farmers for increased sustainability and livelihoods.
