HarvestPlus - Seed

Conventional plant breeding and modern technology can increase the density of micronutrients in staple crops grown and consumed by smallholder farmers around the world. This means that tens of millions of people today, many having suffered from the effects of "hidden hunger," are eating more nutritious foods—vitamin A cassava, vitamin A maize, vitamin A orange sweet potato, iron beans, iron pearl millet, zinc rice, and zinc wheat—and improving their health.

The biofortification process begins with a seed that is viewed through a multidisciplinary lens. Agricultural experts, nutritionists, public health specialists and consumer marketing experts look at that seed as the first step in the biofortification process. Biofortification is successful only when plant breeders can develop those traits that meet not only the nutritional needs—increased density of micronutrients—but also other requirements of the consumers—such as taste, color, cooking time, to name a few—and agricultural needs—such as higher yield and climate smart—of the farmers.