Biofortification

<p>Biofortification is the idea of <a href="/facts/Plant_breeding/GFlyFbSK">breeding</a> crops to increase their <a href="/facts/Nutritional_value/5JrqeNkt">nutritional value</a>. This can be done either through <a href="/facts/Artificial_selection/CAkkM2UG">conventional selective breeding</a>, or through <a href="/facts/Genetically_modified_food/FCqkvd2R">genetic engineering</a>. Biofortification differs from <a href="/facts/Nutrification/Yr96v3Jj">ordinary fortification</a> because it focuses on making plant foods more nutritious as the plants are growing, rather than having nutrients added to the foods when they are being processed. This is an important improvement on ordinary fortification when it comes to providing nutrients for the rural poor, who rarely have access to commercially fortified foods. As such, biofortification is seen as an upcoming strategy for dealing with <a href="/facts/Global_health/kIo4zSIt">deficiencies of micronutrients</a> in low and middle-income countries. In the case of <a href="/facts/Iron/QK1JYy8E">iron</a>, the <a href="/facts/World_Health_Organization/YNN3bgug">WHO</a> estimated that biofortification could help cure the 2 billion people with iron deficiency-induced <a href="/facts/Anemia/AgEPPmg8">anemia</a>.
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Biofortification open-in-new

Biofortification