Summary
This narrative review examines agronomic biofortification as a strategy to combat hidden hunger affecting over a quarter of the global population. The authors synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of mineral fertiliser applications in increasing target mineral concentrations in food crops and improving human dietary intake, whilst critically evaluating the feasibility of such interventions across diverse agronomic contexts. The review highlights that success depends on multiple interacting factors—including crop selection, genetic potential, climatic conditions, soil properties, and soil-mineral chemistry—in addition to fertiliser access, and emphasises the need to consider programme cost-effectiveness and actual improvements in human health outcomes.
Regional applicability
The findings may have limited direct application to UK agriculture, where soil fertility and access to mineral fertilisers are generally not constraints. However, the review's framework for evaluating biofortification feasibility across crop types and environmental conditions could inform UK policy on supporting global nutrition security or future resilience planning in resource-constrained scenarios.
Key measures
Crop micronutrient concentrations; human mineral dietary intake relative to daily requirements; programme cost-effectiveness; crop type, genotype, climate, soil, and soil-mineral interaction effects
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises evidence on the effectiveness of agronomic biofortification strategies in increasing crop micronutrient concentrations and improving human mineral dietary intake. It examines the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of such approaches in combating hidden hunger, particularly in resource-poor rural settings.
Topic tags
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