Worldwide, some 1.2 billion people eat maize three times a day, and people with maize-centric diets are disproportionately represented among those suffering from malnutrition. New Seed (Semilla Nueva, in Spanish) is engineering better maize to help more of that population attain better health.
For several years, New Seed has been breeding high-yield maize hybrids from Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to make maize that’s more nutrient-rich and more climate-resilient. (The seeds are not genetically engineered.) The resulting grain is higher than typical maize in zinc, iron, and quality proteins. In 2024, it was planted by about 30,000 smallholder farmers in Guatemala: The resulting crop helped feed more than 1 million people, and farmers on average reported a 76% rise in income and 54% fewer climate-related crop losses. New Seed estimates that its $5 million investment saw $15 million in economic impact. The maize is also available in El Salvador and in a pilot project in Honduras; New Seed plans to distribute it in five African nations by 2030, aiming to help feed 100 million people that year.