MDG 1: One Step Closer - The Role of Micronutrient-Rich Staple Foods
06/23/2010
Erick Boy, head of Nutrition for HarvestPlus discusses why ending hidden hunger is critical to MDG 1
We talk about ending hunger and alleviating extreme poverty. But how? Hunger runs much deeper than simply the amount of food or caloric intake - vitamins and minerals vital to normal growth and development are essential, especially in the early years of life. In 2008, the Lancet (371: 417-40) published a study evaluating the impact of micronutrient interventions on the health of women and children, the groups most susceptible to micronutrient malnutrition or ‘hidden hunger.' The study found that micronutrient supplementation and fortification have a measurable impact on decreasing incidence and severity of illness and on improving overall micronutrient status.
Ending hidden hunger, even when the diet provides sufficient calories, must be part of MDG 1 (ending extreme poverty and hunger). Supplementation and fortification with vitamins and minerals are effective, but they often work best in urban areas where food processing facilities or delivery mechanisms are available and do not always extend to rural agricultural areas where most of the poor live. They also require a constant input of resources and capital to be sustainable. Adding a new approach called biofortification to this mix creates an even more powerful toolbox for combating hidden hunger.
Biofortification is the process of breeding nutrients, such as vitamin A, iron and zinc, into staple crops. Scientists scour seed banks, screening thousands of seeds to find the precious few varieties that have naturally higher levels of the desired micronutrient. These are then used to breed new high-yielding varieties that also have the additional micronutrients. Farmers test the crops to make sure that they will withstand drought, pests, and other problems. Nutritionists also ensure that the nutrients bred into crops positively impact public health, and our multidisciplinary teams assess the social and economic impact of the adoption of biofortified crops by the rural poor.
HarvestPlus is conventionally breeding micronutrients into seven staple food crops eaten by the world's poorest communities. These crops are sweet potato, cassava, and maize (with vitamin A) and pearl millet, common beans, rice and wheat (with iron and/or zinc). The goal is to provide from 30 percent to 50 percent of the mean daily requirement for these specific micronutrients to adults (using women as reference) knowing that the poor eat large amounts of these foods daily. Preschool children, whose micronutrient needs are often lower than adults but consume less food, will get a slightly lower percentage of their daily requirement met through these foods. The overall advantage of this approach lies in the sheer number of people who eat these staple foods daily and will continue to eat them, even if rising food prices put more nutritious foods out of reach.
Improving intake of food made from iron-rich crops should result in better nutrition and health for millions of women (and men) suffering from iron deficiency, making them more productive members of their communities. When additional income is earned and managed by women, this usually translates into more money spent on household health. Crops with high vitamin A or zinc should decrease the number of days children spend fighting off infections, which results in less time lost from school and lower health care expenses. Zinc crops, such as rice, could also improve growth if enough is eaten in the first two years of life to reduce stunting and diarrhea incidence and duration.
Economic analyses have shown that the adoption of biofortified crops can be a cost-effective strategy for ending hidden hunger that is worth pursuing. After an initial investment in research and development, biofortified crops can be distributed to farmers and adapted to other countries at a low cost. In most instances, farmers will be able to save and share seed to grow year after year. Remember that these new micronutrient-rich crop varieties are public goods without patents or protections, which HarvestPlus partners will provide free of charge to governments and civil society to disseminate to farmers.
Not only will biofortified crops contribute to healthier, more productive adults, but the crops can also be sold or traded at local markets or processed into other food products to raise income. Dickson Mobogo, a farmer in Uganda, where vitamin A deficiency among children is severe, best exemplifies the potential of biofortification. Dickson recently started growing orange sweet potato with more vitamin A:
"My household got three bags of [orange sweet potato] vines from the project. Managing these vines took time, but after five months, I was able to plant half an acre...and sold 64 bags of vines. I decided to expand my production...I combined what I knew about sweet potato with what we had been taught. This was my turning point! At the end of 5 months, my method gave me an income that was 50 percent more than my traditional return, so I took a decision to stop my casual labor work for the first time in life and took on orange sweet potato production. I managed to pay school fees for all my children on time. I even bought a motorbike to take my produce to the markets. My wife has a small shop where she sells pancakes made from the sweet potato. We have enough orange sweet potato to eat every day."
Dr. Erick Boy is head of Nutrition for HarvestPlus.
Best part of this biofortification by Harvestplus is its scientific basis, cost-effectiveness and no patent, no profitmaking goal.Only thing one should strss on its acceptability by people.
— Dr.Sadhu Charan Panda on 2010-07-06
its a great job
— OJEWUSI AYOOLA A,. on 2010-07-15
good results
— mansi on 2010-07-31