Malawi, like other southern African countries, has endured several waves of infection since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The disease has had severe effects on the economy, including the agriculture sector.
This review of micronutrient policy processes in South Africa serves as a companion piece to two parallel studies in Malawi and Zambia.
Some 2 billion people suffer from hidden hunger caused by infections and diets lacking in essential micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in Uganda by promoting orange sweet potato that provides more vitamin A and beans that provide more iron in the diet.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in Rwanda by promoting beans that provide more iron in the diet. We work with more than 30 partners drawn from government, business, and civil society.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by promoting cassava that provides more vitamin A and beans that provide more iron in the diet.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in Bangladesh by promoting rice that provides more zinc in the diet. We work with almost 40 partners drawn from government, business, and civil society.
HarvestPlus aims to improve nutrition and public health in Pakistan by promoting wheat that can provide more zinc in the diet. We work with more than 20 partners drawn from government, business, and civil society.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in Nigeria by promoting cassava that provides more vitamin A in the diet. We work with almost 40 partners drawn from government, business, and civil society.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in Zambia by promoting maize and orange sweet potato that provide more vitamin A in the diet. We work with more than 30 partners drawn from government, business, and civil society.
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health in India by promoting pearl millet that provides more iron and wheat that provides more zinc in the diet. We work with more than 70 partners drawn from government, business, and civil society.
Zinc is an important nutrient for human health, especially for the growth of children (Caulfield and Black 2004).
Micronutrient deficiency, especially vitamin A deficiency, is a major problem in developing countries (Aguayo and Baker 2005; Black et al. 2008; Kennedy et al. 2003).
Biofortification is increasingly seen as an additional tool to combat micronutrient malnutrition.
Biofortification of staple food crops with micronutrients could reduce micronutrient malnutrition at relatively low cost.
More than 250 million children under the age of five have vitamin A (VA) deficiency. Efforts to improve VA status globally have included supplementation and food fortification.