About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the future of humanity.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/nourishing-the-future-with-plants/
Aug 21, 2018...
Soy superhero: Asaph Aharoni is developing a soybean plant that is easy to grow, has all seven dairy proteins, is lactose- and cholesterol-free … and can help fight malnutrition in impoverished areas, too.
Evolution is all around us … and in us. Just one of the many proofs: lactose tolerance.
We are practically drowning in dairy products, and most of us consume them – even if we shouldn’t. Until fairly recently – “only about 20,000 years — the evolutionary equivalent of a hot minute,” as an NPR story puts it – human digestive systems could not tolerate lactose, the primary sugar in milk, after infancy. Furthermore, until the late 19th century, milk was regarded as a child’s food and was not the household dietary staple it is today.
Feb 28, 2019... In the second episode of Weizmann in Focus, CEO Dave Doneson discusses how the Institute’s plant scientists are tackling the challenge of global food security. These innovative researchers are figuring out how plants can better resist drought, provide higher-quality nutrition, and more. Dave spotlights a breakthrough by Prof. Jonathan Gressel, who discovered a method of killing a parasitic weed that was destroying corn crops in sub-Saharan Africa.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/strigaway-puts-a-hex-on-witchweed/
Jan 14, 2016... Striga, also known as witchweed, is a parasitic weed that infests up to 50 million hectares of sub-Saharan African land. In Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda alone, striga infests over one million hectares of farmland. The weed causes farmers to lose anywhere from a third to one hundred percent of their staple crops, leading to hunger and financial hardship for as many as 100 million people. Traditional approaches to controlling Striga include crop rotation, intercropping, and various other planting techniques. However, these methods are time-consuming and have limited results, especially for smallholders who make up 70 to 80 percent of the farmers in this region.
Jul 07, 2017... In Israel’s earliest days, Weizmann Institute scientists invented a method for waxing oranges so they could be shipped, which was a major boon for the country’s then-fledgling, agriculture-based economy. Since those days, the Weizmann Institute of Science hasn’t stopped working toward improving food security — not just for Israel, but for the world. But today the task is more daunting than ever: by the mid-21st century there will be nine billion mouths to feed; and climate change is expected to have an impact on agriculture, possibly a considerably negative impact.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/the-next-agricultural-revolution-is-here/
Sep 19, 2019...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Uplands Farm has a history of ground-breaking plant research and environmental activism.
As a growing population and climate change threaten food security, researchers around the world are working to overcome the challenges that threaten the dietary needs of humans and livestock. A pair of scientists is now making the case that the knowledge and tools exist to facilitate the next agricultural revolution we so desperately need.
Dec 11, 2012... Despite advances in agriculture, the numbers of the world’s hungry are increasing. The World Health Organization has stated that lack of food is the world’s number one health risk. About 170 million children in impoverished countries are underweight because of lack of food. The “green revolution” of the last century, dependent on pesticides and chemical fertilizers, bypassed many of the world’s poorest farmers — the very people that needed it most. In addition, the pressures on land and water resources created by growing populations in some of the planet’s least-developed regions contribute to the crisis.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/using-science-to-feed-the-world/
Mar 19, 2019...
We humans are overrunning our planet and its limited resources, with no end in sight: the UN says that “roughly 83 million people” are born each year, adding another billion in just the next 20 years. Our current population of 7.6 billion alone is already putting a tremendous strain on Earth’s limited water, energy, land, and other resources.
And now, for the third year in a row, there has been a rise in world hunger. The U.N. says that “821 million people – one in nine – still go to bed on an empty stomach each night. Even more – one in three – suffer from some form of malnutrition.” These statistics are concerning for reasons beyond the human suffering; for example, malnourished children often have lifelong health problems and difficulty learning.
Mar 26, 2018...
It takes much more land to produce edible protein from pigs, cattle and chickens than it does to grow it from plants, according to new research. (Chuck Liddy / TNS)
More than 41 million Americans find themselves at risk of going hungry at some point during the year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. New research suggests the country could feed all 327 million Americans — plus roughly 390 million more — by focusing on plants
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/in-search-of-the-wild-fava-bean/
Dec 07, 2016...
14,000-year-old faba seeds contain clues to the timing of the plants’ domestication.
Like all food crops, the faba, or fava, bean – a nutritious part of the diets of many cultures – had a wild ancestor. Wild faba is presumed to be extinct, but Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have now identified 14,000-year-old remains of seeds that offer important clues as to the time and place that this plant grew naturally. Understanding the ecology of the wild plants’ environment and the evolution they underwent in the course of domestication is crucial to improving the biodiversity of the modern crop. The findings were reported in Scientific Reports.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/how-israeli-scientists-are-saving-crops/
Mar 19, 2019...
Researchers help plants at the Weizmann Institute of Science. (photo credit: WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE)
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot continues to be a leading innovator, as highlighted in a new video series from the institute. Dave Doneson, CEO of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, spoke about challenges facing the world’s food supply.
“In Israel’s earliest days, Weizmann scientists invented a non-toxic method for waxing orange so they could be shipped overseas,” Doneson explained. “Since those days, the Institute has continued to apply its plant research expertise toward improving global food security.”
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