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Mark Steil
St. Paul, Minn.

McKnight expands agriculture efforts in Africa

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The Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation will expand its international crop research program, thanks to a major grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The nearly $27 million grant will help fund a research effort in East Africa. McKnight president Kate Wolford said the program will focus on staple crops grown in that region.

"One of the main crops in Africa that we're working on is cowpeas, which again are very important to the local diet. It's a crop that is widely planted, and where there are opportunities to improve the quality and again adapt it to drought resistance areas in particular," Wolford said.

McKnight's crop research efforts are focused in Latin America and Africa.

Wolford said the goal is to help small farmers improve food production and nutrition.