96 research outputs found
Improving nutrition through biofortification: From strategy to implementation
No full textPRHarvestPlus; CRP4; IFPRI3; ISIHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH
Zinc enriched wheat, maize and rice grain: Specification
No full textThis PAS will focus on crops enriched with zinc through biofortification (breeding or agronomic) technology. Billions of people around the world are at risk of zinc deficiency. Zinc is an essential micronutrient that is important for several functions in the body, including:
growth and development;
immune system function;
reproductive health; and
healthy body tissues.
When consumed daily, zinc enriched maize, rice and wheat could contribute 35% to 80% of daily zinc needs for women and young children.PRHarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; IFPRI5HarvestPlu
Cereals and cereal products: Iron enriched bean and pearl millet grain: Specification
No full textHarvestPlus leads and coordinates a global effort within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) network to improve nutrition by promoting biofortified, nutrient enriched staple crops. This effort focuses on catalyzing the development, production, delivery and consumption of foods that are rich in essential micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron and zinc. In May 2018, HarvestPlus and GAIN launched a landmark partnership to accelerate progress towards improving access to biofortified seed, grain and foods via commercial channels with the Commercialisation of Biofortified Crops (CBC) programme.
The standards outlined in the PAS are meant to enable easier procurement of minimal (postharvest cleaning and removal of agricultural remains) or unprocessed beans and pearl millets at the wholegrain stage in the supply chain. Processing after this point, which may remove part of the grain and reduce micronutrient content, is not covered by this PAS. Further processing and promotion to consumers is not covered.PRHarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; IFPRI5HarvestPlu
Provitamin A carotenoids (PVAC) enriched maize grain, cassava and sweet potato roots: Specification
No full textHarvestPlus, a division of the International Food Policy Research Institute, has developed a conventional plant breeding process that results in increased levels of minerals and vitamins in seeds and grain. Since this increases the nutritional value of staple foodstuffs, PAS 235:2022 has been produced to help accelerate the adoption of this methodology by setting targets for the levels of vitamin A required for maize, cassava and sweet potato to be designated as “nutrient enriched”.PRHarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; IFPRI5HarvestPlu
The global regulatory framework for the commercialization of nutrient enriched biofortified foods
No full textNutrient enriched crops (NECs) were developed through biofortification as a tool to reach the world's most vulnerable. The delivery model developed by HarvestPlus for the scaling of NECs relies on commercial demand from food businesses and consumers, coupled with the ability to promote and market foods that comply with legislation. This review of standards, regulations, and laws across the value chain in 20 countries demonstrates that existing provisions for food labeling are sufficient to carry out sales and marketing of foods made from conventionally bred NECs. The term biofortification is not necessary to create demand and, potentially, is counterproductive. Promoting the natural source of vitamins and minerals and relevant nutrition claims is the most effective and simple way to signpost healthier products to consumers. Until 2021, it was not possible to distinguish NECs at the grain level from the market standard. The development of a globally relevant Publicly Available Specification allows traders to demand grains that offer a substantial increase in zinc, iron, or vitamin A. Addressing this gap at the grain level ensures that standards and regulations are available end-to-end in the food supply chain providing the enabling environment for the rapid scale of NECs.PRIFPRI3; ISI; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; Capacity Strengthening; HarvestPlusHarvestPlu
Digital solutions to promote nutritious foods: Value chains for biofortified staples
No full textMicronutrient (mineral and vitamin) deficiency is one of the three forms of malnutrition, alongside overweight or obesity and undernutrition. It affects more than 2 billion people globally, causing health problems, reducing productivity and curtailing income at individual and national level (IFPRI, 2016). Malnutrition, in all its forms, can be tackled with a healthy diet. Current food systems are unable to provide healthy diets for many, however, especially those in rural areas who cannot access or afford nutrient-dense foods and rely on staple crops for their calorific needs. The biofortification of staples commonly grown and consumed in lower- and middleincome countries (LMICs) with key micronutrients (such as vitamin A, iron and zinc) is a cost-effective and scalable strategy with proven potential to improve the micronutrient access of the population (Lockyer, White and Butriss, 2018; HarvestPlus, 2019; Bouis and Saltzman, 2017).PRIFPRI4; HarvestPlus; CRP4; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; G Cross-cutting gender themeHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH
Proceedings of the ‘Working together to consider the role of biofortification in the global food chain’ workshop
No full textA workshop, jointly hosted by the British Nutrition Foundation, HarvestPlus and the UK government’s Department for International Development, was held in May 2018 in London to discuss the potential of introducing biofortified foods into the UK market. Forty delegates from academia, the food industry and non-government organisations (NGOs) attended. The workshop included presentations outlining the findings of research into the efficacy of biofortified crops in developing countries, the current situation in the UK in terms of micronutrient intakes and status, regulatory issues and consumer acceptability insights. Group work focused on challenges and opportunities relating to introducing biofortified foods into developed markets, in particular aspects relating to consumers (e.g. awareness and understanding of micronutrients and intakes in the UK; potential demand and marketing strategies for biofortified foods); crop growers (e.g. would existing biofortified crops be suitable for the UK climate and who would absorb any additional related costs?); the relevance and acceptability of various biofortified foods in the UK (e.g. based on current dietary patterns and preferences); manufacturers and retailers (e.g. smallholders in the developing world could be linked to the UK food industry; nutrition claims could be utilised); public health (e.g. identification of priorities; potential beneficiaries and ways to target these); regulation (e.g. could a minimum crop micronutrient content be made mandatory?); and research (e.g. to further prove efficacy; consumer insights). Four themes emerged: crop research; consumer education and awareness; standards; and public health research. These were used to identify various challenges, opportunities, beneficiaries, stakeholders, necessary actions and immediate next steps that could form the basis of future work streams designed to explore bringing biofortified foods to the UK market.Non-PRCRP4; IFPRI3; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food IndustryHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH
Proceedings of the workshop ‘Biofortified food - Working together to get more nutritious food to the table in India’
No full textHarvestPlus is the global leader in biofortification and has been leading biofortification efforts in India for nearly a decade. A workshop hosted by HarvestPlus was held in April 2019 in New Delhi to discuss ways to increase the scale, reach and impact of naturally nutritious (biofortified) foods in India by working in partnership with the food industry. This paper summarizes the output of that 2-day workshop. Harvest Plus is a not-for-profit organization that works with its partners to tackle hidden hunger and malnutrition. It leads the global effort to develop biofortified staple crops, explore their acceptability, efficacy and effectiveness, and scale up their availability to rural and urban populations who may not have access to diverse diet, fortified foods or supplements. Scaling the reach and impact of biofortified food through foods systems is a key strategy for HarvestPlus. In this regard, HarvestPlus has conducted research into the barriers for scale-up and co-created solutions to overcoming those barriers through partnership with the food industry. During this workshop, it emerged that there is significant demand from the food industry who see value in biofortification to both their business and the health of their customers and the country. Small working groups explored specific opportunities around supply chains, food products and composition, and consumers & markets. Several common themes emerged from the deliberations. All three groups identified lack of awareness as a major barrier to scale. More data on the health and nutrition impacts, as well as consumer and market research, is critically needed to build the food industry’s understanding of biofortified foods. Ensuring supply chain integrity, meeting manufacturing product standards, and developing strategic messaging for consumers were also mentioned repeatedly. Ending hidden hunger and managing a profitable food business can be done simultaneously and sustainably. By addressing the barriers to embedding biofortification into the food system, HarvestPlus aims to increase the access that families and communities have to nutritious seeds and foods.PRIFPRI3; CRP4; DCAHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH
Digital transformation for more nutritious food systems: How digital tools can be used to scale and commercialize nutrient-enriched staple crops
No full textThis paper explains the need for digital tools and how they enable commercialization and scale, the impact on users, and the risks and benefits with examples of projects and partners along the value chain. This approach is being applied across all HarvestPlus activities and digital projects are researched and reported as part of the CGIAR Digital Innovation Initiative.Non-PRIFPRI1; HarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural EconomiesInnovation Policy and Scaling (IPS); Transformation Strategie
Developing a definition of biofortification through the synthesis of food biofortification publications: A scoping review protocol
No full textObjective: The objective of this review is to develop a definition of biofortification through the synthesis of food biofortification publications and to document the breadth of the research on this topic.
Introduction: Biofortification of a food source is a human health intervention. Due to the varying definitions of this concept, biofortification can be difficult to describe. Originally, biofortification was defined as the use of plant breeding methods to produce staple foods, dense in minerals and vitamins. Research using the term focused on mineral, vitamin, and protein improvement of staple foods. However, the field has expanded to include non-staple foods as well as different methodological approaches to biofortification (eg, transgenic, molecular breeding). Researchers require a broad overview of the evidence and consensus on a definition to ensure effective communication within this scientific community.
Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria will be broad to ensure that existing definitions of biofortification are captured across the different areas of study in this field. The review will consider research published in English. Inclusion will not be limited by participant type, date of publication, or context. The concept will be strictly biofortification.
Methods: A broad search strategy will be utilized for AGRICOLA, AGRIS, Web of Science, PubAg, CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, JBI Evidence Synthesis, Google Scholar, and Washington State University Libraries’ integrated catalog. A limited search for gray literature will be conducted. The data extracted will include study and author characteristics. Tables and figures will demonstrate the breadth of the evidence.PRIFPRI3; HarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food SupplyHarvestPlu
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