Biofortification

Biological fortification or biofortification uses selective breeding and/or genetic modification to increase the nutritional value of staple crops. It provides a comparatively cost-effective, sustainable, and long-term means of delivering more micronutrients.

Biofortified staple crops, when consumed regularly, will generate measurable improvements in human health and nutrition.

Biofortification represents one promising strategy to enhance the availability of vitamins and minerals for people where micronutrient deficiencies are more prevalent, and also could penetrate to urban populations as production surpluses are marketed. Biofortified crop varieties may help to alleviate certain forms of undernutrition.

The main goal of biofortification is to ensure that high-quality biofortified varieties are available and easily accessible, both physically and economically, are acceptable to the target consumers and, when consumed, that the target nutrients are bioavailable.
Biofortification