The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave its blessing Tuesday to allow Texas A&M AgriLife Research to move toward commercialization of a new strain of cotton that has the potential to help feed half a billion hungry people across the globe while reportedly also doubling the income of cotton farmers, according to a press release from the university.
According to the release, it is only the fourth time that a university has successfully petitioned the USDA for deregulation, the first time in Texas.
The development was the result of the work of Dr. Keerti Rathore, who figured out a way to remove a naturally occurring toxin from cottonseeds that made them inedible to people and most animals.
The breakthrough by Rathore and his team took 23 years to develop, according to the release. Rathore said he has been focused for nearly a quarter of a century on unlocking “the potential to make this new source of protein available to hundreds of millions of people.”
The seeds can be eaten, ground into flour or made into a peanut butter-like spread. They also can provide an excellent source of protein for animals that were unable to consume cottonseeds before Rathore’s discovery.
The next step is approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which is expected in the coming months.
CLICK HERE for a video detailing the breakthrough experiment.
