Biofortification-enabled strategies to mitigate the challenges of malnutrition

Abstract

Scientific and technological intervention have significantly contributed to global food security, especially due to the enabling technologies during the so-called Green-revolution era. However, ending all kinds of hunger poses a daunting challenge to fulfill the food and nutritional demands of the ever-growing human population. Hidden hunger also referred as malnutrition is very common problem in the developing countries in Sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia. Consistent with malnutrition, an associated challenge is to improve the health-benefits of food crops to overcome the problems of obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer by developing functional foods. Biofortification of food crops, especially staple crops like rice, wheat and maize by using innovative genomics and breeding technologies should be given priority to overcome this formidable challenge.