Meet the Research Team Harnessing the Sun to Reduce Global Hunger

Scientists from Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) are improving photosynthesis to increase food production for farmers worldwide. RIPE is an international research partnership led by the University of Illinois that aims to equip farmers with higher-yielding crops to support farmer livelihoods, strengthen global food security, and ensure populations thrive. The research team has already achieved ground-breaking scientific breakthroughs by increasing crop growth by almost 40% and improving water efficiency by 25% in a model crop. Now they are working to transfer these successes to staple food crops such as cassava, cowpea, maize, soybean and rice.
RIPE and its sponsors—FFAR, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office—are committed to ensuring these high-yielding food crops are globally available, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and affordable for smallholder farmers to help feed the world’s hungriest and lift their families out of poverty. Agriculture has been shown to reduce poverty four times more effectively than growth in other sectors. Ultimately, RIPE demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships to catalyze scientific innovation to improve farmer productivity and reduce global hunger.
FFAR is proud to work with so many passionate scientists, farmers and supporters to advance innovative food and agriculture research. Our work is rooted in the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can individually, and that partnerships in science are key to feeding the world by 2050.
FFAR supports the most cutting-edge research teams strengthening the resiliency of our food system. When you give to FFAR through the CFC, you are joining a community of innovators who share the same commitment to global food security. Thank you for powering the best and brightest research teams to ensure everyone has access to nutritious, affordable and sustainable food grown on thriving farms.