Biofortification: Developing Nutrient-Dense Staple Crops for Improved Agriculture Nutrition Linkages

Slide1Helena PachónCIAT Nutritionist AgroSalud Project Coordinator Improved Agriculture-Nutrition Linkages through Production and Promotion of Nutrient-dense Foods Food Security and Nutrition Network Spring Technical Meeting 9 May 2011 Baltimore, USA

Slide2Outline Biofortification overview  Experiences in LAC Photo:  Neil Palmer

Slide3What is Biofortification?Biofortification is the development of nutrient-dense staple crops using the best conventional breeding practices and modern biotechnology, without sacrificing agronomic performance and important consumer-preferred traits Modified from Nestel et al., 2006 clayuca.org Iron, zinc, calcium, pro- vitamin A carotenoids, folate, amino acids, prebiotics, etc.

Slide4Conventional Plant Breeding to DevelopBiofortified Crops Drought-tolerant Bean High-iron Bean X Drought-tolerant, high-iron beans

Slide5Progressive increments of iron in beansBreeding cycles Iron (ppm) 2005 2007 2009 2011 50 65 80 100 Developing Biofortified Crops Takes Years Courtesy:  Steve Beebe, CIAT

Slide6Nutrient Concentration in Staple Crops canbe Increased through Plant Breeding Courtesy:  César Martínez, CIAT 0 0 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 Percent Percent N N 4851 4851 Mean Mean 3.92 3.92 Std  Deviation Std  Deviation 1.20 1.20 2008 2008 Normal Normal 0.45 0.45 1.05 1.05 1.65 1.65 2.25 2.25 2.85 2.85 3.45 3.45 4.05 4.05 4.65 4.65 5.25 5.25 5.85 5.85 6.45 6.45 7.05 7.05 7.65 7.65 0 0 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 Percent Percent N N 1819 1819 Mean Mean 5.69 5.69 Std  Deviation Std  Deviation 1.21 1.21 2009 2009 Fe  (mg/kg) Fe  (mg/kg) Normal Normal 0 0 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 Percent Percent N N 4667 4667 Mean Mean 3.20 3.20 Std  Deviation Std  Deviation 1.26 1.26 Normal Normal 2007 2007 Fedearroz  50 Fedearroz  50 IR  -  64 IR  -  64 Baseline Baseline

Slide7Agronomic Traits in Staple Crops can beImproved through Plant Breeding Yield of tryptophan- and lysine- biofortified maize (QPM) Mostly higher yields for QPM (yellow bar) compared with conventional maize (red bar) Courtesy:  Hugo Córdova and CIMMYT colleagues Yields for White QPM Hybrids Evaluated in 62 Localities in Latin America, Asia and Africa, 2002-2003

Slide8Will Farmers Adopt Biofortified Crops? 49% and 15% of the areas in LAC and Africa, respectively, where beans are grown have CIAT varieties  (Johnson et al., 2003)  36% of LAC areas where maize is grown have CIMMYT germplasm (Morris & López, 2000)  71% of the rice area planted in Asia has IRRI rice  (Hossain et al., 2003) Photo:  Marlene Rosero Historically, farmers have adopted agronomically improved crops

Slide9Biofortification is a Food-based Approach(http://faostat.fao.org/site/368/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=368#ancor) Six crops account for 57% of energy and 49% of protein “ consumed ”  by populations living in least developed countries (FAO food balance sheets)

Slide10How Biofortified Crops Improve Foodand Nutrition Security Compared with conventional (non-biofortified crops), biofortified crops have Increase foods available in homes  Better  agronomic characteristics • Greater:  yields, resistance to pests, tolerance to stresses Improve food security

Slide11How Biofortified Crops Improve Foodand Nutrition Security Compared with conventional (non-biofortified crops), biofortified crops have Increase foods available in homes  Better  agronomic characteristics • Greater:  yields, resistance to pests, tolerance to stresses  Higher  nutritional concentration • More:  iron, zinc, beta- carotene and/or tryptophan and lysine Increase the intake of these nutrients Improve nutrition security Improve food security

Slide12Biofortification Supported by LeadingEconomists (www.copenhagenconsensus.com) For the most important challenges facing the world, what are the most promising solutions?

Slide13Biofortification is Complementary to OtherInterventions Improve Food and Nutrition Security Fortified Foods Dietary Diversity Supplementation Improved Crop Productivity Crop Biofortification Nutrition Education

Slide14#9#9 Brazil India Biofortification Program Who Promotes Biofortification?

Slide15Iron-biofortified rice  (Haas et al., 2005) Increased by 20% storage iron in non-anemic women of reproductive age (Philippines) β -carotene-biofortified sweet potato   (Low et al., 2007; van Jaarsveld et al., 2005) Reduced by 37% pre-schoolers with vitamin A deficiency (Mozambique) and improved by 10% storage vitamin A in school-age children (South Africa) Lysine- and tryptophan-biofortified maize (QPM) (Gunaratna et al., 2010) Improved children ’ s growth by 9-12% (8 studies in Latin America and Africa) Zinc-biofortified wheat  (Rosado et al., 2009) Improved zinc absorption by 33% in women of reproductive age (Mexico) Demonstrated Impact of Biofortified Crops Photo:  Luis Carlos Torres

Slide16Summary: Biofortified Crops Improved agronomic characteristics  Higher nutrient concentration  Improve nutritional status  A food-based strategy  Complements other interventions

Slide17Outline Biofortification overview  Experiences in LAC Photo:  Neil Palmer

Slide18The Nutritional Need in LAC 52 M undernourished  (FAO)  In some areas, anemia, stunting, & vitamin A deficiency constitute  severe public health problems  (WHO, MACRO)  Lost school days, poor growth and development, and poor productivity  Regional economic cost is ~US$21 billion annually  (CIAT) Photo:  Neil Palmer

Slide19s potato(Images:   www.gardenguides.com ,  www.hormel.com ,  www.cdc.gov ,  www.waynescomputerworld.com ,  www.theproducehunter.com;www.sacramentorivervalleydistrict.org ) beans rice +  Iron +  Iron +  Iron Anemia Biofortified Crops to Address Nutrition Problems in LAC

Slide20s potato(Images:   www.gardenguides.com ,  www.hormel.com ,  www.cdc.gov ,  www.waynescomputerworld.com ,  www.theproducehunter.com;www.sacramentorivervalleydistrict.org ) beans maize rice +  Zinc +  Zinc + Zinc +    Amino acids Zinc Stunting Biofortified Crops to Address Nutrition Problems in LAC

Slide21s potato(Images:   www.gardenguides.com ,  www.hormel.com ,  www.cdc.gov ,  www.waynescomputerworld.com ,  www.theproducehunter.com;www.sacramentorivervalleydistrict.org ) cassava maize +  Pro-Vit A + Pro-Vit A + Pro-Vit A Vitamin A Deficiency Biofortified Crops to Address Nutrition Problems in LAC

Slide22Released 42 Cultivars, 10 in the PipelineCourtesy:  Róger Urbina Country Crop Rice S potato Beans Maize Bolivia 2009 (2) 2011 (1) - 2009 (1) 2008 (1) Brazil 2011 (1) 2009 (1) 2008 (2) - Colombia 2011 (1) - 2011 (1) 2010 (2) Costa Rica - - 2011 (1) - Cuba 2009 (1) 2010 (1) 2009 (1) 2009 (1) - El Salvador - - 2011 (1) 2008 (3) Guatemala - - 2010 (1) 2009 (1) Haiti - 2009 (2) - 2008 (1) Honduras - - 2011 (1) 2008 (1) 2010 (2) Mexico - - - 2007 (2) 2009 (2) Nicaragua 2011 (1) - 2011 (1) 2007 (2) Panama 2010 (4) - - 2008 (2) 2009 (2) Peru - 2010 (2) - - Dominican Republic 2011 (1) 2009 (2) - - Total 13 8 10 21

Slide23Seed Produced (2010)Country Cultivar Amount (kg) Bolivia Rice 228,000 Bolivia Maize 200 Cuba Rice 10,680 Cuba Beans 1,702 El Salvador Maize 431,920 Guatemala Beans 909 Haiti Maize 6,935 Panama Rice 7,071 Peru Maize 1,000

Slide24Take-Home MessageThrough AgroSalud, 42 nutritionally-improved crops were bred and released in 13 countries Photos:  Neil Palmer Seed is available for your projects and programs in LAC

Slide25Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5oyFBqobpM

Slide26¡Gracias! ¡Buen provecho ! Helena Pachón CIAT Colombia +572 445 0000 (Tel) h.pachon@cgiar.org www.AgroSalud.org The New Agriculturalist: http://www.new- ag.info/picture/feature.php?a=1582 Feeding Ambitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5oy FBqobpM