Summary
This review article, published in Agronomy in 2019, examines biofortification as a sustainable strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition, commonly termed 'hidden hunger', across global food systems. It likely synthesises evidence on agronomic biofortification (e.g. fertiliser application), plant breeding, and transgenic approaches, evaluating their relative effectiveness in increasing the nutritional quality of staple crops. The paper situates these strategies within the broader context of food security, considering both efficacy and scalability in low- and middle-income settings.
UK applicability
Although primarily relevant to low- and middle-income countries where micronutrient deficiency is most acute, findings on agronomic biofortification — particularly selenium and zinc enrichment of cereals — have direct applicability to UK arable systems, where selenium-deficient soils are well documented and fortification of crops via fertiliser is an established practice.
Key measures
Micronutrient concentrations in staple crops (e.g. Fe, Zn, Se mg/kg); dietary intake adequacy; bioavailability indicators; coverage of at-risk populations
Outcomes reported
The paper likely examines the role of biofortification approaches — agronomic, genetic, and conventional breeding — in improving the micronutrient content of staple crops, and assesses their contribution to reducing micronutrient deficiency and food insecurity in vulnerable populations.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.