From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
Things may be changing soon for some crops in Africa. A group called the African Orphan Crops Consortium says these plants are not getting enough attention. And it thinks they could help ease hunger and improve nutrition on the continent.
一些非洲作物的情况可能很快会发生改变。一家名为非洲孤生作物协会(African Orphan Crops Consortium)的组织表示,这些作物没有得到足够的重视。该组织认为它们能有助于非洲缓解饥饿和改善营养。
The consortium opened the African Plant Breeding Academy last year in Nairobi, Kenya. The academy is the result of cooperation among international organizations. They are hoping to use genetic information from 100 African plants and trees that researchers have largely ignored, but food scientists say these crops have lots of possibilities.
该协会去年在肯尼亚首都内罗毕开办了非洲植物育种学院。该学院是国际组织之间合作的结晶。他们希望利用非洲100种植物和树木的遗传基因,研究人员在很大程度上忽略了它们,但食品科学家称这些作物存在多种可能性。
Howard Yana-Shapiro is a senior fellow at the University of California, Davis. He is also the chief agricultural officer and global director of Plant Science and External Research for Mars Incorporated - the candy company.
霍华德·雅娜-夏皮罗(Howard Yana-Shapiro)是加州大学戴维斯分校的高级研究员。他也是糖果公司 - 玛氏食品公司植物科学与对外研究部门的农业主管和全球总监。
Mr Shapiro says he began thinking about ways to improve nutrition at the local level after seeing how poor nutrition affects children in Africa and India. He says a woman who does not eat right during her pregnancy can affect the physical and mental health of a baby. These problems, he says, can not be corrected.
夏皮罗先生表示,在他看到非洲和印度儿童如何受营养不良影响后,他开始思考在当地层面改善营养的办法。他说,妇女在怀孕期间饮食不当会影响到宝宝的身心健康,而这些问题无可挽回。
Mr Shapiro spoke to VOA from Nairobi. He said the African Plant Breeding Academy will work on many different kinds of plants.
夏皮罗先生在内罗毕接受了美国之音的采访。他说,非洲植物育种学院将研究多种不同类型的植物。
He says hundreds of African plants have been ignored because they are not economically important in international trade. But food scientists say the plants still have value to people in Africa.
他说,数百种非洲植物一直被人们忽略,因为它们在国际贸易上不具经济重要性。但食品科学家表示,这些植物对非洲人们还有价值。
The African Orphan Crops Consortium plans to train plant breeders and researchers over a one-year period about the genetics of these crops. The consortium hopes they will produce more food with higher nutritional levels.
非洲孤生作物协会计划就这些作物的遗传基因对植物育种人员和研究人员展开为期一年的培训。该协会希望他们能够繁育出更多具有高营养的食物。
Mr Shapiro says anything researchers learn will be shared with the world without cost.
夏皮罗先生表示,研究人员发现的任何信息都将免费与全球共享。
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Learning English. For more agriculture stories, go to our website chinavoa.com, where you can also find transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports. I'm Christopher Cruise.
以上就是美国之音慢速英语本期农业报道的全部内容。更多农业相关报道请访问我们的网站chinaVOA.COM,网站还提供和报道相关的文本、Mp3听力文件以及播客内容。我是克里斯多夫·克鲁斯(Christopher Cruise)。
Improving Nutrition through African Orphan Crops
By VOA
03 March, 2014
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
Things may be changing soon for some crops in Africa. A group called the African Orphan Crops Consortium says these plants are not getting enough attention. And it thinks they could help ease hunger and improve nutrition on the continent.
The consortium opened the African Plant Breeding Academy last year in Nairobi, Kenya. The academy is the result of cooperation among international organizations. They are hoping to use genetic information from 100 African plants and trees that researchers have largely ignored, but food scientists say these crops have lots of possibilities.
Howard Yana-Shapiro is a senior fellow at the University of California, Davis. He is also the chief agricultural officer and global director of Plant Science and External Research for Mars Incorporated - the candy company.
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Baobab, known as the "wonder tree" because its fruit has antiviral properties and is rich in vitamins, will be the first of 100 crops whose genomes will be sequenced by the African Orphan Crops Consortium. |
Mr Shapiro says he began thinking about ways to improve nutrition at the local level after seeing how poor nutrition affects children in Africa and India. He says a woman who does not eat right during her pregnancy can affect the physical and mental health of a baby. These problems, he says, can not be corrected.
Mr Shapiro spoke to VOA from Nairobi. He said the African Plant Breeding Academy will work on many different kinds of plants.
He says hundreds of African plants have been ignored because they are not economically important in international trade. But food scientists say the plants still have value to people in Africa.
The African Orphan Crops Consortium plans to train plant breeders and researchers over a one-year period about the genetics of these crops. The consortium hopes they will produce more food with higher nutritional levels.
Mr Shapiro says anything researchers learn will be shared with the world without cost.
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Learning English. For more agriculture stories, go to our website chinavoa.com, where you can also find transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports. I'm Christopher Cruise.