Biofortification Addresses the Serious Public Health Problem of Mineral and Vitamin Deficiencies
All forms of malnutrition are estimated to contribute to 45% of all child deaths in developing countries. Importantly, more than two billion people do not get enough essential vitamins and minerals because their diets are not properly balanced. Consumption of staples is high so that the poor do not go hungry for the most part, but more nutritious foods, whose prices continue to rise significantly, are not affordable. Vitamin A, iron, and zinc deficiencies are the most widespread and serious. These deficiencies result in higher mortality and morbidity, reduced cognitive abilities, and lower work performance.
Through breeding staple foods that are both high-yielding and dense in minerals and vitamins — a process known as biofortification — HarvestPlus and its partners seek to reduce “hidden hunger”. Biofortified varieties, developed through research at a central location, can be made available to multiple countries, and once released, are available in national food systems year after year at no additional cost to farmers and consumers.
For more information on the twelve biofortified crops being developed at CGIAR Centers, see Bouis and Saltzman (2017a). For information about progress on biofortification in general, see Bouis and Saltzman (2017b).
As one of the world’s major staple food crops, wheat is consumed by 35% of the human population, contributing almost 20% of dietary energy and protein to the diets of developing countries. Due to its significant role in ensuring food security, wheat is an ideal candidate for biofortification.
The largest numbers of people suffering from mineral and vitamin deficiencies live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Wheat is a widely- consumed food staple in South Asia, a close second to rice.Thanks to the pioneering activities of the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug in the 1950s, which led to the creation of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)in1966, Mexico has served as a hub to breed wheat for improved grain yield and disease resistance. Biofortification at CIMMYT has been undertaken through funding and collaboration with partners of the interdisciplinary HarvestPlus program, which was launched in 2003...
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