Biofortification: a new tool to reduce micronutrient malnutrition.

Abstract

The density of minerals and vitamins in food staples eaten widely by the poor may be increased either through conventional plant breeding or through the use of transgenic techniques, a process known as biofortification. HarvestPlus seeks to develop and distribute varieties of food staples (rice, wheat, maize, cassava, pearl millet, beans and sweet potato) that are high in iron, zinc and provitamin A through an interdisciplinary, global alliance of scientific institutions and implementing agencies in developing and developed countries. In broad terms, three things must happen for biofortification to be successful. First, the breeding must be successful - high nutrient density must be combined with high yields and high profitability. Secondly, efficacy must be demonstrated - the micronutrient status of human subjects must be shown to improve when they are consuming the biofortified varieties as compared with what is normally eaten. Thus, sufficient nutrients must be retained in processing and cooking and these nutrients must be sufficiently bioavailable. Finally, the biofortified crops must be adopted by farmers and consumed by those suffering from micronutrient malnutrition in significant numbers. Biofortified crops offer a rural-based intervention that, by design, initially reaches those more remote populations that comprise a majority of the undernourished in many countries, and then penetrates to urban populations as production surpluses are marketed. In this way, biofortification complements fortification and supplementation programmes, which work best in centralized urban areas and then reach into rural areas with good infrastructure. Initial investments in agricultural research at a central location can generate high recurrent benefits at low cost as adapted, biofortified varieties become available in country after country across time at low recurrent costs.

Rice Biofortification for Assessment of Hidden Hunger: A Review

“…Recently, low maternal Fe intake has been linked to autism spectrum disorder in their offspring (Schmidt et al, 2014). Nutritional studies suggested that 24-28 mg kg −1 Zn and 13 mg kg −1 Fe concentration in polished grain is essential to reach the 30% of human estimated average requirement (Bouis et al, 2011).…”

Human Food Trial of a Transgenic Fruit

“…especially in staple crops, to complement conventional fortification 2 activities, particularly in targeting the undernourished in remote rural populations (Bouis et al 2011;WHO 2016).…”

Yield and Zn content of biofortified rice genotypes in an Indonesian rice agro-ecosystem

“…Nevertheless, the coverage of Zn fortification in the world is very low (Bhutta et al 2013). A further complementary effort to overcome this nutrient deficiency is by biofortification (Bouis 2004, Bouis et al 2011, i.e. developing plant varieties with increased micronutrient content, including Zn.…”