Since its inception in 1970, IDRC has contributed to increased food security and better nutrition. Research to feed the poor has improved plant varieties, made farming practices more efficient, preserved environments, and brought technological innovation to small producers. IDRC has helped small farmers and food processing businesses enhance their livelihoods in a sustainable manner as they produce nutritious food that people can afford.




Download the Lasting Impacts Brief of this issue.

Better cassava boosts food security Efforts to improve one of the world’s most resilient staples — cassava — have paid off, with lasting and, in some instances, dramatic benefits. Plant breeding has increased this starchy root’s nutritional value and resistance to disease, saving countless lives as a result.   IDRC has long recognized cassava as an important but neglected food crop. Drought tolerant and able to remain intact in dry soil until harvested months or even a year later, cassava is critical to the survival of more than 800 million of the world’s poorest people. These producers and consumers depend on cassava, also known as manioc, for their daily sustenance.

More nutritious bananas resist disease Breakthrough supplies young fish to a hungry industry   Wild plants spark revival in traditional foods