‘Super beans’ seen as easing rising hunger in Africa
NWOYA, Uganda — Richard Opio dipped a dirt-stained hand into the pinkish beans, marveling at the dramatic changes they’ve made for his family. They used to harvest two sacks of normal beans; now they take in six.
The so-called “super bean,” a fast-maturing, high-yield variety, is being promoted by Uganda’s government and agriculture experts amid efforts to feed hunger-prone parts of Africa. It’s also a step toward the next goal: the “super, super bean” that researchers hope can be created. The beans are produced by conventional genetic selection, not the contentious genetic modification technologies.