comments
Not seeing your comment? Read our Content Moderation Policy.
Log in or sign up to comment
Please verify your account
Resend verification email
Leave a comment
Keeping the Pests Out
A simple advance in crop storage aids poor farmers in Africa
Reducing spoilage from weevils helps farmers store and sell more crops.

By Bill Gates published on Friday, Apr 27, 2012
On a recent trip to Africa, I saw the incredible impact that simple innovations can have on the world’s poor. For years, farmers trying to eke out a living growing cowpeas—a protein-rich staple—would lose as much as half their crop to weevils. As I showed students during a recent talk at Stanford, a simple, inexpensive triple-layer bag invented by researchers at Purdue University enables farmers to protect their entire crop. This allows farmers to charge more for their crops and has increased their incomes by as much as 30 percent.
Log in or sign up
Want good news in your inbox? Become a Gates Notes Insider today to get my newsletter and receive updates on inspiring stories and remarkable heroes from around the world. You'll learn about the incredible progress being made in global health, energy innovation, and more.
Your email
Please enter a valid email address
Next
POPULAR SEARCHES