Maria Andrade (scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Andrade
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Maria Isabel Andrade
1958 (age 66–67) São Filipe, Cape Verde
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| Nationality | Cape Verdean |
| Alma mater | University of Arizona (BS MS) North Carolina State University (PhD) |
| Awards | 2016 World Food Prize |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Agronomy |
| Institutions | International Potato Center |
Maria Isabel Andrade, born in 1958, is a brilliant food scientist from Cape Verde. She is well-known for her work with sweet potatoes in Mozambique since 1996. In 2016, she even won the important World Food Prize!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Maria Andrade was born in 1958 in São Filipe, Cape Verde. She started school on the islands of Fogo and Santiago. After finishing high school, she traveled to the United States.
University Studies
Maria attended the University of Arizona. In 1983, she earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science. Her studies focused on plant genetics, which is about how plants inherit traits. Later, she continued her education at North Carolina State University. In 1994, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree. This advanced degree was in plant breeding, which is the science of creating new and better plant varieties.
Her Amazing Career
Maria Andrade began her work in agriculture in 1984. She started a program in Cape Verde to help people grow vegetables. This was an important step in her career.
Working with International Groups
While leading the National Research Institute in Cape Verde, Maria joined the Food and Agriculture Organization in 1994. This is a big group that works to end hunger worldwide. From 1996 to 2001, she worked for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Here, she was an agronomist, studying how to grow sweet potatoes in Southern Africa.
Sweet Potatoes in Mozambique
From 2002 to 2006, Maria led a special project in Mozambique. This project helped spread sweet potatoes to many people. In 2006, she started working for the International Potato Center. She became a manager, focusing on breeding new types of sweet potatoes in Southern Africa.
Why Sweet Potatoes Are Super
Maria's research showed how important sweet potatoes are. They provide a lot of vitamin A, which is good for your health. Because of her work, many people around the world now use sweet potatoes to improve nutrition. This is called biofortification. Maria also helped raise money for the International Society for Tropical Root Crops from 2012 to 2016.
Awards and Special Honors
Maria Andrade has received several important awards for her hard work.
Recognizing Her Impact
In 2013, she was named a "Nutrition Champion" by Transform Nutrition. This honor recognized her efforts to improve people's diets.
Major Prizes
Maria was a co-winner of the famous World Food Prize in 2016. This award celebrates people who have made big improvements in food quality and availability. In 2017, she also won the M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection. This award recognized her work in protecting the environment through agriculture.
