“We will work with governments, researchers and private sector stakeholders in Africa, Asia and Latin America to increase agricultural productivity, improve dietary diversity and build greater resilience to challenges, like climate change, that affect livelihoods,” he said.

Professor of agricultural, food and resource economics John Staatz explained how MSU can influence food policy in the developing world.

“We help build local research institutions in these countries, help people do research themselves,” Staatz said. “We can influence laws and regulations. And a lot of policy work involves trying to get farmers and consumers to behave in a way that’s good for the society, to adopt practices that don’t degrade the environment and can provide access to nutritious food.”

Staatz, whose research has been largely centered around food policy and security in Africa, said MSU has a long history of African food advocacy. MSU has helped ensure African farmers could establish smaller, rural grain mills to produce flour at lower costs, reducing the price of flour by approximately 15 percent.

MSU also has established more competitive trade markets and focus agricultural research to issues farmers are most concerned about, Staatz said.

MSU horticulture professor and lab director Irvin Widders said sustainability is key in the ongoing project.

“Legumes help fix atmospheric nitrogen,” Widders said. “They enhance the fertility and health of the soil and improve the productivity of other crops, which can have a long-term impact.”

Long-term sustainability brings multiple returns on an investment and is essential to developing countries, Widders said.

“We want to generate knowledge about nutrition, to change what people eat, which is sustainability in itself,” said Widders.

But researchers contend that the best way to promote sustainability in the developing world is through education.

“Everything we do creates some sort of output,” Widders said. “Whether it’s new technology, scientific innovation or helping someone to get their degree. Someone will have a sustainable impact.”

Staatz cited a former faculty member and graduate student who is now the vice minister of Rural Development in Mali.

“There are Spartans in key leadership roles all over the world,” Staatz said. “We are educating new leaders. And I believe that while a lot of funding MSU consistently receives is for research, it’s always linked to education.”