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Nearly 70% of the world’spoor and malnourishedlive in Asia, where rice isthe staple food. In some

of the poorest areas, particularly

in South Asia, two-thirds of allcalories consumed come from rice.In Bangladesh, where preschoolchildren derive up to 76% of theircalories from rice, 56% of them areunderweight. What is worse, 73% of young children in B angladesh sufferiron-de ciency anemia, challengingtheir cognitive development. Half of all pregnant women in that country face the same af iction, complicatingchildbirth.

Nearly 4 decades into the GreenRevolution, feeding the poor is onething, adequately nourishing them isanother.

In 1994, a handful of innovativescientists began asking whetheradvances in agricultural andnutritional science could be broughtto bear to help end all hunger — not just the obvious, grinding hungermanifest in gaunt children, but alsothe hidden hunger that underminesapparently healthy children by hindering their cognitive growth,crippling their immune systems andeventually stealing their eyesight.

As hidden hunger continues toaf ict over 2 billion in the developing world, the next green revolution,the scientists reasoned, shouldmake staple foods more nutritious.However, such an ambitiousundertaking would require new science and new partnerships,observed Howarth Bouis, directorof the Bioforti cation ChallengeProgram of the Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research(CGIAR).

“Bioforti cation” is a new termcoined to describe an approachto breeding food crops that loads vitamins and minerals into the edibleportions of seeds, roots or tubers.In essence, bioforti ed crops fortify themselves with micronutrients.These crops offer higher nutrientlevels straight from the eld, givingpoor farmers and sharecroppers,and the urban populations they supply, access to more nutritious food without relying on processing withfortifying additives.

“Inducing plants to fortify themselves with vitamins andminerals, and then

delivering them tothe poor, requiresan interdisciplinary alliance of researchand implementinginstitutions all overthe globe,” Dr. Bouissaid. “Coordinatingsuch an alliance became possibleonly with the adventof widespread

and easy access to the Internet ideveloping countries as well asdeveloped ones, which has becoreality only recently.”

Conventional plant breedinmade some progress toward rea

bioforti ed crops, notably in IR work to develop and test rice riin iron and zinc. Bioforti catioalso capitalizes on biotechnolog

which speeds scientists’ effortsidentify genes that intensify nutdensity and to insert them in tarcrops. In the case of transgeniccrops, biotechnology makes pocombinations that could not beachieved through conventional

breeding but are of potential beto billions of consumers.

Channels for deliveryFor decades, the community of scientists focused on human nuhas worked tirelessly to identifychannels for effective delivery nutrients. Vitamin capsules andmineral supplements are criticainterventions for arresting severmalnutrition. Conventionalforti cation with additives has successful in reducing some forof micronutrient de ciency in splaces; iodized salt, for examplreduced the incidence of goiter cretinism.

But what about the millionpoor who lack access to the heaclinics that dispense supplementhe markets that sell conventionforti ed foods? Other options aneeded to reach the millions tharemain beyond the reach of eximethods of nutritional interventBioforti cation of crops may be piece in the solution to this puzzl

Scienti c advances

ave helped farmershe world over grow

more food. Can new

dvances help them

grow food that is

inherently more

nutritious?

by Bonnie McClafferty S ta pl es N on st ap le p la nt A ni ma l a nd fs h

Share of energy intake in rural Bangladesh.

D NUTRITION FOR ALL is a puzzle that needspiece in place. Varied diets, vitamin and

ral supplements, and conventional forti ca-with additives have proven value. Nowrti cation, or breeding for nutrition, maythe puzzle closer to completion.

Breedingfor nutrition80%

3%

A R I E L J A V E L L A N A

Rice Today October 2003 Rice Today October 2003

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What exactly does it taketo turn a clever idea like thisinto a successful technology and public good? We know that scientists can load suchessential micronutrients asiron, zinc and provitamin A into staple crops, but

can nutrient levels achievesuf cient density to have asigni cant impact on humanhealth? Will farmers takeup bioforti ed crops? Willmalnourished consumers welcome them? How much bene cial impact will theseinnovations nally haveon public health? Whatpartnerships do we need toaccomplish this monumentaltask?

We address the lastquestion rst. Success willdemand the combined efforts of agronomists, plant breeders andgeneticists from advanced researchinstitutes, national research systemsin developing countries, anduniversities in both the developedand developing world. Nutritionists working both in modern laboratoriesand in the eld will formulate preciseobjectives and evaluate the safety of new crops and the bioavailability of nutrients in the bodies of consumers.Sociologists and economists will

Bonnie McClafferty is the coordinator of com-munications for the Bioforti cation ChallengeProgram.

focus delivery of the technology to thepeople who need it most and measureits impact.

Broad alliance

Nongovernmental organizations andextension specialists based primarily in the developing world will facilitateadoption and evaluation. Partnerships with the private sector will provideaccess to patented technologies,regulate their use for the commongood, and disseminate the technology

where it can bemost effective.Communicationsand socialmarketingspecialists will build support forthis innovativeapproach amongthe donor

community and thepublic. In short,success will requirea broad allianceof disciplines andorganizations withcomplementary areas of expertise— an inclusivecollaborationthat depends onall participants

committing valuable resources toachieve a common goal.

Answers to the other questionsregarding the concept’s prospects will become known as bioforti edproducts become available to farmersand consumers.

The International Centerfor Tropical Agriculture and theInternational Food Policy ResearchInstitute are the two CGIAR sistercenters that share leadership of theBioforti cation Challenge Program.They are joining forces with IRRIand other CGIAR centers and — by sharing materials, methods andinformation related to breedingfor nutrition — ensuring that theprogram will have the broadestpossible impact.

Immediately, the program isoverseeing expansion of existing breeding programs. Because of

progress already made, high-iron riceand high-beta carotene (provitamin A) orange- esh sweet potato willlikely be the rst bioforti ed productsout the door. IRRI’s high-iron variety IR68144 (a nontransgenicrice) is already in large-scale humanee ing tria s to test ow e ective y it

alleviates anemia.

BREEDING FOR NUTRITION has potential application across a broad range of staple crops. The Bioforti cation ChallengeProgram coordinates these efforts to bring health bene ts to the world's poor.

26 Rice Today October 2003