New Global Research Plan for “Biofortified” Grains to Reduce Malnutrition

Many U.S. wheat export customers, while expressing concerns about the
immediate commercialization of biotech wheat, have indicated that consumer acceptance might be more readily obtained if a biotech wheat has consumer benefits, and is proved to be safe. This objective may be obtained within the next 10 years in a new research plan to address malnutrition across the world.

One of the biggest challenges in reducing world hunger is providing adequate nutrients to malnourished populations in relatively remote rural areas of the world. Micronutrient malnutrition, primarily the result of diets poor in vitamins and minerals, affects more than half of the world’s population.

Recognizing that new technologies and approaches can help tackle the problems, an international alliance of universities, research institutes, farmer groups in developing countries, and nongovernmental organizations have announced collaboration on a 10-year “biofortification” program to improve human nutrition.

The effort will initially focus on three micronutrients—iron, zinc, and vitamin A—and proposes a breeding program for six staple foods consumed by the majority of the world’s poor in Africa, Asia and Latin America: rice, wheat, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, and common beans.

By producing staple foods with these micronutrients, scientists can provide farmers with crop varieties that naturally reduce anemia, cognitive impairment, and other nutritionally related health problems in hundreds of millions of people, according to “Biofortified Crops for Improved Human Nutrition,” the proposal approved by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Work on wheat will be conducted by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) and selected national agricultural research and extension programs, including systems in Ethiopia, India, and Pakistan.

Breeding, dissemination, and impact activities, outlined in the ten-year plan, are focused on development of conventionally-bred crops, the proposal states. Results from germplasm screening suggest that the iron and zinc content of staple foods can be doubled through conventional breeding, the consortium reports.  No release of biotech crops is proposed for the first four years of the biofortification plan.

The proposal goes on to point out, however, that “transgenic (biotech) methods hold great promise for improving the nutrient content of staple foods and speeding up the breeding process.”

Thus, the collaborative group foresees undertaking research in biotech crops. In the first four years, genetic transformation technologies will be used for research purposes to gain a better understanding of the targeted nutritional pathways. After that, they will look at possibilities to increase the level of the traits, and provide additional traits that cannot be achieved by conventional breeding.

An external advisory committee of public sector experts from developing and developed countries will provide program oversight. Additionally, all institutions involved in the program have well-established guidelines on biosafety and “will pursue rigorous scientific processes to ensure the safe use of transgenic plants when there is a high social benefit.”

The proposal also declares that “the Centers will distribute with caution and consultation/approval of civil society transgenic materials for experimental purposes with advanced informed consent only to countries where national biosafety legislations are in place.”

CGIAR approved this program in October. The proposal can be reviewed online at: www.worldbank.org/html/cgiar/publications/agm2002/biofortification.pdf