Economic inflation and climate change have all become important challenges to a healthy and quiet living since the beginning of the twenty-first century.
However, few people are aware of a far larger problem known as “hidden hunger” that exists in the background.
Micronutrients, proteins, vitamins, and other critical elements are deficient in the diets of almost half of the world’s population.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
An estimated 2 billion individuals worldwide suffer from anaemia, which is caused mostly by a lack of iron in their diet.
This type of deficiency has a number of negative consequences for the community, including greater disease risks, shorter lifespans, and diminished mental capacities.
Biofortification of staple food crops has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing nutrient insufficiency in developing nations, where a huge portion of the population cannot buy enough fruits, vegetables, legumes, seafood, and other foods to meet their nutritional needs.
Biofortification is the process of creating micronutrient-rich food crops using the best traditional breeding approaches or current biotechnology genetic manipulation.
It varies from conventional fortification in that it focuses on increasing the nutrient profile of the food crop as it grows and matures, rather than manually adding nutrients to the food during processing.
Biofortification is a viable and cost-effective method of delivering micronutrients to those who do not have access to a variety of diets or other micronutrient therapies.
Biofortification Techniques
Biofortification methodology consists of two main methods:
Selective breeding
This is the traditional strategy, which entails crossing crops with high-yielding types to produce crops with naturally high nutritional content.
Nutritionists must watch the development of hybrid varieties to see if improved nutritional levels can be used by consumers and how these levels are influenced by storage, processing, and cooking of the food crop.
Genetic modification
Changing a crop’s genetic composition by introducing foreign genes from a wild crop of the same species or another species that code for higher production of specific nutrients or disease resistance could make the host crop more nutrient-dense and improve its quality.
Alternatively, various genes that code for different nutrients can be stacked in a crop to produce a crop that is rich in a range of nutrients.
Golden rice, which has been supplemented with beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A, is one of the most spectacular examples.
Biofortification’s Advantages
In India, the Green Revolution and similar movements were aimed at putting an end to famine.
The country’s food grain output has increased as a result of the Green Revolution, and it is now largely self-sufficient.
The government has implemented a number of initiatives and steps to guarantee that the populace consumes enough food in terms of calorific value.
However, the present focus is on raising food intake’s nutritious content. Many people do not obtain enough nutrients from their meals, despite having “enough to eat.” As a result, there is a problem known as “hidden hunger.”
Micronutrient deficiencies, such as zinc and iron, are referred to as “hidden hunger.”
Many researchers believe that biofortifying food crops can alleviate hidden hunger.
Biofortification aids in the enhancement of people’s overall health.
Such crops are more resistant to diseases, pests, droughts, and other environmental factors, and produce higher yields.
It provides an alternative to iron supplementation that is food-based, long-lasting, and low-dose.
It has the potential to reach the most vulnerable members of society (those who cannot buy food supplements) as well as farmers.
It is extremely cost-effective because the procedure can be simply copied and scaled once the first research is completed.
Biofortification using non-genetically modified approaches (such as traditional plant breeding in India) is a superior option to GM crops, which encounter implementation challenges.
In a country like India, where there are significant nutritional issues, biofortification provides a long-term, cost-effective solution to the problem.
Various studies and analyses suggest that India confronts a serious undernutrition problem.
Anaemia and iron deficiency are widespread concerns in society, particularly among the economically disadvantaged and women.
Challenges in Biofortification
Biofortification and the introduction of biofortified cereal grains as part of the daily diet in India confront some problems, which are mentioned below.
People are hesitant to embrace biofortified foods, such as golden rice, because of colour changes in the grain.
This should be implemented on a big basis by farmers as well.
The early expenditures may also be a deterrent to implementation.
Conclusion
Biofortification of staple food crops has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing nutrient insufficiency in developing nations, where a huge portion of the population cannot buy enough fruits, vegetables, legumes, seafood, and other foods to meet their nutritional needs.
Biofortification is the process of creating micronutrient-rich food crops using the best traditional breeding approaches or current biotechnology genetic manipulation.
It varies from conventional fortification in that it focuses on increasing the nutrient profile of the food crop as it grows and matures, rather than manually adding nutrients to the food during processing