Food is Yam: How to Sustain a West African Staple that Saps the Earth
Channel: r4d programme
Date: 2023-03-23

In West Africa, yam is a staple. But it saps the earth of nutrients, leaving the land too depleted to secure the region’s food supply. Scientists Beatrice Aighew and Chinwe Ifejika Speranza are leading on research to keep soils fertile and grow yam sustainably.

The footage was collected by scientists working side by side with communities around the globe, supported by the Swiss Programme for Research on Issues for Development (r4d programme), an initiative by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swiss National Science Foundation. The r4d programme mobilizes the scientific community to support global development with their knowledge, creativity and innovative solutions. 

More information on the r4d programme: https://www.r4d.ch/en 
To watch the original films from the digital storytellers project, visit the Knowledge for Development platform https://k4d.ch/


Credits:

Video by: Anita Makri & Minos Papas
Based on the r4d Digital Storytellers Project, produced by the Food Systems Caravan project
Videography: Sara Baga
Assitant Editors: Hiran Balasuriya & Mike Charalambous
Music by: Tao Zervas
Dialog Mix: Ben Wong
Translation: Boubacar Aribot 
Stock media provided by: Black Box Guild / Rich Careyzim / Core Productions / Pond5
A Cyprian Films, New York production for the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d programme), www.r4d.ch