The funding will help the foundation build on its work strengthening a network of scientists, organizations and communities working for food and nutritional security in Latin America and Africa.

McKnight's president Kate Wolford, said: “This grant will allow McKnight to double its support for research to help some of the world's poorest farmers.”

She added that it would help the foundation’s crop program “find innovative and environmentally sensitive solutions to food security issues”.

McKnight has funded plant biology and crop research since the early 1980s, and established the McKnight Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCRP) in 1994.

This supports 26 projects in 17 countries, promoting sustainable food production and improved nutrition through strategic partnerships among researchers, development organizations and farmers in Latin American and Africa.