Wanted: Scientists Who Can Work with Farmers

One of the highlights of reporting my story "Seeds of Hope" in this week’s issue of TIME was getting to talk with Monty Jones, an agricultural scientist from West Africa who in 1990s managed to cross-bred a high-yielding Asian variety of rice with a hardy African variety of rice. The resulting strain, called NERICA (or New Rice for Africa), yields more grain at harvest time than most African varieties but survives in much drier conditions and is tolerant to many more pests than any of the available Asian varieties.