CIMMYT - International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

Published purpose

Maize is the dominant staple food crop in much of Eastern Africa and the Horn. The crop, however, is low in two essential proteins, lysine and tryptophan. The goal of the Quality Protein Maize Development (QPMD) project is to develop, produce, and promote the use of new varieties of maize that are reinforced with protein, and are thus much more nutritious than traditional varieties. Quality Protein Maize (QPM) is a maize genotype developed specifically to address the problem of poor protein quality in staple foods. QPM has twice the concentration of lysine and tryptophan than conventional maize, making its protein quality comparable to that of milk. QPM therefore has a tremendous potential to improve nutrition and health. The ultimate project beneficiaries are resource-poor farming families dependent on maize as a staple food in their diet.