High lysine corn is so named for one of the essential amino acids that the human body uses in protein syntheses. Ordinary cereal grains such as corn, wheat, and rice are usually a poor source of Lysine. However, Purdue University developed this variety of corn over 30 years ago for the pork industry. The additional protein and lysine make it valuable in the diet of individuals in developing countries, where protein is likely to be the limiting factor in their diet.

Data from Purdue University indicates that approximately 3/4 of a pound of high lysine corn consumed daily will maintain a college student in balance: in other words, that amount should provide the daily protein needed for a young adult (recognizing that they need vitamins and minerals from other sources). 

Taking this value to be correct, one 60-lb. bag should feed 80 persons for one day. This leads us to believe that the approximately 107,000 bags of corn shipped through the Project over the past 19 years have provided a day's rations for over 8.5 million people. We are all humbled by this. As Hollace Sherwood once expressed: "We never dreamed that so many people could be fed when we began this project."