Food Biofortification - Reaping the Benefits of Science to Overcome Hidden Hunger

Biofortified staple food crops can generate measurable improvements in human nutrition and health

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 1 October 2020

• Document Type: Journal Article
• Theme: Agriculture, Food and Nutrition
• Authors: Bouis, H, Birol, E, Boy, E, Gannon, B, Haas, J

Abstract

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). Biofortified staple food crops, when substituted consistently for non-biofortified staple food crops, can generate measurable improvements in human nutrition and health. This monograph describes the progress made in developing, testing, and disseminating biofortified staple food crops, primarily through the use of conventional plant breeding, summarizing the activities of two consortiums of inter-disciplinary collaborating institutions led the HarvestPlus program and the International Potato Center (CIP).

This article is an output of the HarvestPlus programme

Citation

Bouis, Howarth; Birol, Ekin; Boy, Erik; Gannon, Bryan; Haas, Jere; Low, Jan; Metha, Saurabh; Michaux, Kristina; Mudyahoto, Bho; Pfeiffer, Wolfgang; Qaim, Matin; Reinberg, Chelsea; Rocheford, Torbet; Stein, Alexander J; Strobbe, Simon; Van Der Straeten, Dominique; Verbeecke, Vincent; Welch, Ross. 2020. Food Biofortification - Reaping the Benefits of Science to Overcome Hidden Hunger. CAST. 69

Link

Food Biofortification - Reaping the Benefits of Science to Overcome Hidden Hunger

Published 1 October 2020