University of Greenwich - Project to cash in on cassava

A partnership with organisations in five African countries aims to boost the incomes of small-scale African farmers by linking them to new markets. The initiative, led by the University of Greenwich's Natural Resources Institute, will link more than 90,000 smallholders to national and international markets by turning their main crop, cassava, into processed flour that can be sold at a premium price. It is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has backed the project with a $13.1 million (£6.6 million) grant. Tom Barnes, pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise at Greenwich, said: "This is an ambitious initiative that will make a big difference to the lives of some of the world's poorest people."