The CGIAR biofortification program, HarvestPlus, was founded with the aim of improving the quality of diets through micronutrient-dense varieties of staple food crops.
Biofortification is the process of breeding for higher levels of minerals and vitamins in staple food crops, then scaling uptake by farmers and consumers to reduce mineral and vitamin deficiencies in lower- and middle-income countries.
Sound monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems are needed to inform effective biofortification program management and implementation.
Adequate supplies of healthy foods available in each country are a necessary but not sufficient condition for adequate intake by each individual.
According to the latest FAO report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world (1), more than 720 million people faced hunger, and around 3 billion people did not have access to a healthy diet.
HarvestPlus, a division of the International Food Policy Research Institute, has developed a conventional plant breeding process that results in increased levels of minerals and vitamins in seeds and grain.
Nutrient enriched crops (NECs) were developed through biofortification as a tool to reach the world's most vulnerable.
An estimated 2 billion people globally are affected by micronutrient deficiencies, while around one third of the global population is at risk of at least one micronutrient deficiency.
Commercialisation (i.e., the process of introducing a new product or technology into commerce or making it available in the market) is considered a promising strategy to scale up the consumption of biofortified foods.
Objective: The objective of this review is to develop a definition of biofortification through the synthesis of food biofortification publications and to document the breadth of the research on this topic.
We hear a growing chorus of warnings from members of the food and nutrition security community about the dire consequences of the war in Ukraine on global rates of hunger and malnutrition.
Calcium intake remains inadequate in many low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa and South Asia, where average intakes can be below 400 mg/day.
HarvestPlus leads and coordinates a global effort within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) network to improve nutrition by promoting biofortified, nutrient enriched staple crops.
This PAS will focus on crops enriched with zinc through biofortification (breeding or agronomic) technology. Billions of people around the world are at risk of zinc deficiency.
The scientific body of evidence supporting biofortification spans over two decades.
Addressing hidden hunger with nutrient-dense staple crops—developed through the process of biofortification—has gained considerable traction in low- and middle-income countries since the first varieties were released to farmers 16 years ago.
No meta-analysis has examined the effect of dose and duration of zinc interventions on their impact on risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D) or cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Biofortification is a process of increasing the density of minerals and vitamins in a food crop through conventional plant breeding, genetic engineering, or agronomic practices (primarily use of fertilizers and foliar sprays).
Ending all forms of hunger by 2030, as set forward in the UN-Sustainable Development Goal 2 (UN-SDG2), is a daunting but essential task, given the limited timeline ahead and the negative global health and socio-economic impact of hunger.
Globally, an estimated two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies that contribute to weakened immune systems, disease, disability, and even death.1 One of the main causes of micronutrient deficiencies – also known as hidden hunger –