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Home-grown wheat could be the solution to a growing hunger problem in sub-Saharan Africa. The region is one of the few in which the number of undernourished people is rising, bucking a global trend. But a new analysis suggests wheat production there falls a long way short of what’s possible.

A (FAO) concludes that the number of chronically undernourished people in the world has dropped in the last four years. Africa is the only region where the number has actually risen – by 20 million over the same period. The FAO says that agricultural growth there is essential.

Wheat could be the answer, say researchers at the . At a they presented an analysis of 12 sub-Saharan countries. They conclude that in areas where conditions favour wheat growing, the yields are only hitting 10 to 25 per cent of their potential.

“[Extra wheat] would free locals from dependence on markets, where the price can rise by 50 per cent in a few months,” says Hans-Joachim Braun, head of the centre’s global wheat programme. Braun says African ministers have contacted him saying they want to grow wheat. The FAO report gives broad-brush guidance on where this might be feasible.