Hunger and malnourishment have plagued parts of Africa for generations. And nearly as long as the problem has existed, scientists have been looking for solutions to the vexing complexities surrounding mass hunger.Just a few weeks ago, a team of MSU researchers received nearly $1.5-million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to explore the benefits of a new type of crop called the “perennial grain".
Sieg Snapp, an MSU professor of crops and soil ecology at the Kellogg Biological Station, is the project's director. She says rather than traditional crops that are harvested after about six months, perennial crops can come back from the root, protect the soil, and then produce another crop.