Maria Andrade

thumb|Dr. Maria Andrade (cropped) Maria Isabel Andrade (born 1958) is a Cape Verdean food scientist. Andrade has worked in Mozambique as a sweet potato researcher since 1996 and was a co-winner of the 2016 World Food Prize. Quotes Our research triggered global acceptance of the concept of biofortification. Since then, biofortification has been confirmed to be a cost-effective and sustainable solution. Based on this evidence the Mozambican Government approved a strategy for combating micronutrient deficiencies that includes complementary approaches like biofortification. The sweet potato variety has been mainstreamed as a technology for combating vitamin A deficiency. Most importantly, our research triggered global acceptance of the concept of biofortification. Several other studies that have since been conducted across the world have confirmed biofortification to be a cost-effective and sustainable solution. In Mozambique, at the time cassava was the main food crop, followed by maize, with sweet potato coming a distant fifth. Sweet potatoes were widely grown, they were typically cultivated on small plots of land, and the yield was constrained by insufficient planting material. Sweet potato was also considered a female crop, one that was grown by women and children and consumed by the poorest households. Initiatives like Food Forever are helping tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in Africa. Protecting crops allows us to breed new varieties to meet the needs of local populations. I have worked in Mozambique to fortify sweet potatoes and make sure that children there get all the vitamins they need to grow healthy and thrive. External Links Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Women scientists from Cape Verde Category:Women academics from Cape Verde