Semilla Nueva

Semilla Nueva is a nonprofit organization that fights malnutrition and poverty by developing and promoting high-yielding, climate-resilient, and biofortified corn seeds. Instead of altering consumer diets, the organization crossbreeds high-performing agricultural varieties with naturally occurring corn to increase levels of zinc, iron, and quality protein. These non-GMO seeds are designed to withstand extreme weather, such as droughts and storms, while providing farmers with significantly higher yields and profit margins compared to traditional options. Semilla Nueva partners with seed companies, governments, and NGOs to make these improved seeds affordable and accessible to smallholder farmers, aiming to establish biofortified crops as a sustainable market standard in regions heavily reliant on maize.

This work addresses the urgent problem of chronic malnutrition and economic instability among smallholder farmers in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. By improving the nutritional value and productivity of the staple crop, the organization helps farmers improve both their food security and their livelihoods. Proof of the model's impact is demonstrated through widespread adoption by tens of thousands of farmers, resulting in millions of people consuming more nutritious corn. The organization utilizes a scaling strategy that includes market-based subsidies, partnerships with local NGOs, and research into gene-editing technology to drastically reduce breeding costs, with a long-term goal of reaching one billion people by 2045.