Is There Sufficient Local Evidence to Inform Biofortification Policies Against Micronutrient Deficiencies? A Global...

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Nutrition Science
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Micronutrient deficiencies pose significant global health and food security challenges, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Biofortification of staple crops is a promising strategy, but its success hinges on context-specific research for effective implementation.
• Limited local studies hinder the transferability of biofortification findings due to variations in crop, soil, diet, and cultural factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if countries with the highest micronutrient burdens produce sufficient local research to guide biofortification policy.
• To identify potential research gaps in high-burden regions concerning biofortification strategies.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric mapping of peer-reviewed literature indexed in Scopus.
• Comparison of country-level publication output with indicators of iodized salt coverage, zinc deficiency, and childhood anemia.

Main Results:

• Most publications on biofortification originated from high- and middle-income countries.
• Regions with the greatest nutritional burdens, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, had minimal scientific contributions.
• Countries with high rates of zinc deficiency, childhood anemia, or low iodized salt coverage showed very few or no publications.

Conclusions:

• A significant misalignment exists between micronutrient burdens and local research output in indexed literature.
• High-burden countries are likely underrepresented in scientific research, potentially limiting evidence-based policy development.
• Strengthening research capacity and visibility in vulnerable regions is crucial to align the evidence base with global needs.