Four scientists have won the 2016 World Food Prize. They won the prize for making healthier sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes have extra amounts of Vitamin A. This means they have more nutrition. One researcher said farmers didn't want to help him at first. The researcher said: "They told me it was a bad idea." The farmers said their job was to grow more potatoes, kill pests and reduce poverty. They said it wasn't to increase nutrition.
The sweet potato could stop people dying from malnutrition - not having enough to eat. A lack of Vitamin A is very harmful. Scientists say malnutrition harms 140 million children in 118 countries. It affects seven million pregnant women and is a big reason for children becoming blind. The International Potato Center said the prize-winning sweet potatoes could help people get enough Vitamin A. It hopes there will be more vegetables with extra nutrition.
