Is there a place for nutrition-sensitive agriculture?

Abstract

The focus of the review paper is to discuss how biotechnological innovations are opening new frontiers to mitigate nutrition in key agricultural crops with potential for large-scale health impact to people in Africa. The general objective of the Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) project is to develop and deploy sorghum with enhanced pro-vitamin A to farmers and end-users in Africa to alleviate vitamin A-related micronutrient deficiency diseases. To achieve this objective the project technology development team has developed several promising high pro-vitamin A sorghum events. ABS 203 events are so far the most advanced and well-characterised lead events with about 12 μg β-carotene/g tissue which would supply about 40-50 % of the daily recommended vitamin A at harvest. Through gene expression optimisation other events with higher amounts of pro-vitamin A, including ABS 214, ABS 235, ABS 239 with 25, 30-40, 40-50 μg β-carotene/g tissue, respectively, have been developed. ABS 239 would provide twice recommended pro-vitamin A at harvest, 50-90 % after 3 months storage and 13-45 % after 6 months storage for children. Preliminary results of introgression of ABS pro-vitamin A traits into local sorghum varieties in target countries Nigeria and Kenya show stable introgression of ABS vitamin A into local farmer-preferred sorghums varieties. ABS gene Intellectual Property Rights and Freedom to Operate have been donated for use royalty free for Africa. Prior to the focus on the current target countries, the project was implemented by fourteen institutions in Africa and the USA. For the next 5 years, the project will complete ABS product development, complete regulatory science data package and apply for product deregulation in target African countries.

Challenges to joint planning, monitoring, and evaluation for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Ethiopia: an exploratory qualitative study

“…In line with our findings, a review of evidence identified lack of expertise in nutrition and poor cross-sectoral knowledge as major obstacles to jointly implement nutrition-sensitive interventions in Malawi, Nepal, and Sierra Leone [9]. Other studies also indicate limited strategic, technical, and operational capacities as a result of an insufficient number of nutrition officers, staff turnover, lack of knowledge of policy documents, inadequate training for frontline workers [17,[20][21][22], and other capacityrelated constraints [23][24][25][26].…”

Assessment of Several Approaches to Biofortified Products: A Literature Review

“…In Figure 3, as highlighted by Garg, M.; it can be seen that several biofortified crops, including wheat, rice, maize, potato, and tomato were obtained through the application of all three strategies listed above [2,77]. The current results in genomic biofortification are certainly useful for the development of biofortified products as a sustainable solution to the problem of "hidden hunger," to solve the lack of micronutrients, thus serving for human health and as an economic saver [77][78][79][80][81][82]. The current results in genomic biofortification are certainly useful for the development of biofortified products as a sustainable solution to the problem of "hidden hunger," to solve the lack of micronutrients, thus serving for human health and as an economic saver [77][78][79][80][81][82].…”

The Arrested Development of Golden Rice: the Scientific and Social Challenges of a Transgenic Biofortified Crop

“…Rapid growth and frequent infections, which cause ineffective utilization of the vitamin, are also critical factors of VAD (Wambugu et al, 2015). The prevalence of VAD across low and middle-income countries has generally declined over time (G. A.…”

“…According to a report from IRRI -Because rice is widely produced and consumed, Golden Rice has the potential to reach many people, especially those missed by current interventions‖ (Abdullah & Villegas, 2015 February 16-17). Of the 600 carotenoids found in nature, only three are important precursors of vitamin A, namely, α-carotene, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin (Wambugu et al, 2015). In plants, vitamin A precursors occur in the form of α, β and γ-carotenes, and xanthophyll β-cryptoxanthin.…”

“…In plants, vitamin A precursors occur in the form of α, β and γ-carotenes, and xanthophyll β-cryptoxanthin. The most vital of them is β-carotene because it is readily converted into retinol, which the human body can use to make vitamin A although conversion rates vary among plants (Wambugu et al, 2015).…”