James Kelly is a Michigan State University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. Jim Kelly has been breeding new varieties of beans for more than 30 years. Currently he is involved in breeding common bean varieties for East Africa, particularly Rwanda, which has the highest per capita bean consumption in the world. Jim is working to develop bean varieties that are drought tolerant and disease resistant. He has bred and introduced climbing beans to Rwanda, improving yields from a quarter ton per acre to four tons per acre in this country of steep, hilly terrain. He also helps produce educational materials to inform farmers about the new varieties and methods for growing the climbing beans.
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