Biofortification:A way
forward to nourishing future
Improvement of nutrient status of staple food crops
through plant breeding, agronomic management or genetic
engineering is referred as biofortification. This idea is
practicing globally due to its promising outcomes and plant
breeders are engaged in research pertaining to germplasm
bank of those crops cultivars, which have high nutritional
value naturally.
They crossbreed these varieties with high yielding varieties
to introduce seed of higher nutritional value and
productivity. Biofortification provides a sustainable and
long term strategy for delivering micronutrients.
According to experts, 2 billion people are suffering from
micronutrient malnutrition globally known as hidden hunger.
This malnutrition has adverse effects especially on women
and infants. Children born to mothers with vitamin and
mineral deficiencies are likely to suffer from these same
deficiencies These micronutrient deficiencies are
responsible of major health problems, as for example Iodine
deficiency cause goiter, lack of vitamin A leads toward
blindness, iron inadequacy cause anemia.
According to World Health Organization, around 250,000 to
50,000 vitamin A deficient children become blind every year,
half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight.
Nutritionists ascribe these diseases due to low intake of
milk, fruits and vegetables, lack of universal use iodized
salt and poor bioavailability of iron.
Diversification in diet can ensure intake of micronutrients
but, poor tend to rely on cheapest available sources such as
wheat and rice. Biofortification of staple crops is a
possible way to overcome micronutrient deficiencies.
There are four possible ways a person can get
micronutrients, first one is dietary diversity or eating
balanced food, second is addition of micronutrients to
already consumed food, third is artificial supplementation
in which one get vitamins and minerals through tablets and
last option is biofortification that is most feasible and
sustainable.
Biofortification is one solution that can significantly
reduce the scourge of micronutrient malnutrition. There is
potential to increase micronutrient density of staple foods
by breeding. In all crops studied, it is possible to combine
the high micronutrient trait with high yield.
Through plant breeding, the level of minerals and
vitamins in staples can be increased without reducing the
crop’s agricultural production levels. This approach has
multiple advantages; firstly it capitalizes on regular daily
intake of large amounts of food staples for whole family.
This strategy totally implicitly low-income house-holds,
because, staple food dominant in diets of the poor. Second,
after one-time investment to develop seed that fortify
themselves, recurrent costs are low.
Lastly, once in place, biofortified crop system is highly
sustainable.
The development and implementation of biofortification
food programs is still in initial stages. HarvestPlus is
currently working on research and dissemination of
biofortified staple crops. HarvestPlus is an international
research program that seeks to reduce micronutrient
malnutrition by breeding nutrient dense staple food crops.
It is a part of Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR). This program is mainly
working on three micronutrients Fe, Zn and Vitamin A,
because, these nutrients considered vital for women and
children. They are mainly focusing on seven crops namely;
beans, cassava, maize, pearl millet, rice, sweet potatoes
and wheat.
In HarvestPlus system, traditional breeding methods are
used to produce biofortified staple crops. Moreover,
different countries have nominated for early release of
biofortified crops by HarvestPlus. Sweet potatoes enriched
with vitamin A have introduced in Mozambique and Uganda.
In Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, Vitamin
fortified cassava was available in 2011. In Rwanda iron
fortified beans and in India iron rich pearl millet was
available in 2012. Wheat and rice enriched with high levels
of zinc were offered in India and Bangladesh.
Pakistan is also included in HarvestPlus project
countries, but unfortunately, none of these fortified staple
crops have been introduced in Pakistan till now.
There may be some limitations in adoption of biofortified
foods by consumers. For example, foods containing high
quantity of vitamin A are dark yellow or orange, which is
difficult to adopt by Africans, because, they use white
maize for eating purpose while yellow colored maize is being
used by animals.
Similarly, sweet potato with white flesh is preferred
over orange fleshed. The success of HarvestPlus is dependent
on availability of biofortified crops in sustainable manner
and incorporation of biofortified crops into existing
marketing chains because, new market system development is
tough task.
Biofortification strategy requires widespread adoption by
farmers. Biofortified crops must be incorporated into
existing markets or new markets must be developed. The
strategy is to facilitate dissemination and create demand
for biofortified crops by linking producers and consumers.
It is well evident from literature and research experiences
that biofortification is technically feasible without
compromise on productivity.
Getting consumers to accept biofortified crops will be a
challenge, but with the advent of good seed systems, the
development of markets and demand creation, this can become
a reality and this will emerge as an agriculture-based
strategy that helps to meet the nutritional needs of
malnourished communities throughout the world.
September, 2015
By
Usman Zulfiqar
University of
Agriculture,
Faisalabad
Source:
Pakissan Team