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Since 1993, The McKnight Foundation has committed $53.5 million
to the Collaborative Crop Research Program.
The program began as a $12 million, six-year effort to support
agricultural research aimed at helping developing countries
(Phase I). In 1995, nine collaborative projects received grants.
These projects were in Brazil, Chile, China, Ethiopia, India,
Mexico, Peru, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
In 2000, the Foundation committed another $41.5 million over
nine years (Phase II). During the first funding cycle of Phase
II, 16 projects received funds.
In late 2001 and mid-2002, the CCRP's Advisory Committee
met to design the strategy for a second cycle of Phase II
grant-making. A set of specific topics was identified for
potential funding. After further analysis, targeted calls
for proposals will be made for a subset of these topics.
Considering the vast scope of feeding the world, the Foundation's
dollars are small. But the Foundation also hopes to contribute
to food security by focusing attention on often neglected
crops and on issues involved in food security. Such issues
include food storage, distribution, the dwindling supply of
arable land, water shortages, agricultural education, indigenous
farming practices, agricultural technology, and nutrition.
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