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Reducing Mineral and Vitamin Deficiencies through Biofortification: Progress Under HarvestPlus
World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics
|April 16, 2018
Summary
Biofortification breeds staple crops to increase essential minerals like iron and zinc, and provitamin A, combating deficiencies in developing nations. This approach is proving effective, with widespread adoption and positive health impacts emerging.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Mineral and vitamin deficiencies are prevalent in developing countries due to insufficient micronutrient content in agricultural produce.
- Biofortification aims to address this by enhancing the nutritional value of staple food crops.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the efficacy and scalability of biofortification in improving public health through enhanced staple crops.
- To overcome initial skepticism from plant science and nutrition communities regarding biofortification's viability.
Main Methods:
- Breeding staple food crops to increase levels of iron, zinc, and provitamin A.
- Conducting agronomic tests for high-yielding, profitable crop varieties.
- Undertaking efficacy trials to assess nutrient retention and absorption in humans.
Main Results:
- Over 150 varieties of 12 biofortified crops have passed agronomic tests in 30 countries.
- Sufficient positive evidence exists for the efficacy of iron and provitamin A biofortification.
- An estimated 20 million farmers and consumers are already utilizing biofortified crops.
Conclusions:
- Biofortification is a viable strategy to combat micronutrient deficiencies globally.
- Continued efforts are needed to mainstream biofortification across agricultural and public health sectors.
- Scaling up adoption by farmers and demonstrating public health impact are key ongoing challenges.
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