Maria Andrade
2016 World Food Prize Laureate
Maria Andrade, Senior Sweet potato Breeder for SSA & Asia from the International Potato Center, is recognized as a 2016 World Food Prize laureate for her research in breeding disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, high yielding varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) has countered the devastating effects of Vitamin A deficiency, diarrhea, immune system disorders, and premature death in children and pregnant women in Africa. Notably, she initiated the root and tuber crops program in Cape Verde Islands in 1984 and released 9 drought-tolerant OFSP varieties in 1999, benefiting over 120,000 households in the wake of ravaging floods. Her work has incorporated both socio-market and agro-processing strategies to ensure a sustainable program for the long term to address food insecurity, malnutrition, and income generation.