The Guardian carries a story on the work of the African Plant Breeding Academy into how 100 ‘orphan crops’ could help provide food security to millions of African people

Orphan crops are those that have to date been neglected by researchers despite being an important part of the diets of local people. In Africa, they include plants such as baobab, amaranth, breadfruit and the spider plant.

The African Plant Breeding Academy, which was established in late 2013 at the World Agroforestry Centre, hopes to develop improved varieties of these crops that will be made available to smallholders everywhere.

The African Orphan Crop Consortium which funds the Academy has the goal of reducing stunting caused by malnutrition. Initially it will focus on 100 crops, many of which smallholders are already growing and eating. One of these is baobab, which Ramni Jamnadass, who leads research at the World Agroforestry Centre into tree diversity, domestication and delivery, describes as "iconic" in Africa but under-researched.

"Trees are just like us with different traits – some are better built than others, some more petite. We want to sequence the genome, and see if we identify genes which are related to higher nutritional content such as vitamin C."

One of the main aims of the Academy is to build the capacity of scientists from across Africa who can continue this work in their own countries. Over the long term, it is hoped the work of the AOCC will encourage African governments to invest in plant breeding and the development of such crops.

Read the full story: Move over rice, baobab and spider plant could be the new staple crops

See also: ICRAF and partners launch first African Plant Breeding Academy