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Knowledge4Policy
Knowledge for policy

Supporting policy with scientific evidence

We mobilise people and resources to create, curate, make sense of and use knowledge to inform policymaking across Europe.

  • Publication | 2023

What is wrong with biofortification

Global Food and Nutrition Security

Malnutrition is now the leading avoidable cause of death and disability in the world. One aspect of malnutrition is hidden hunger, a lack of micronutrients in the diet resulting in poor health that may not manifest for months or years. One form of so-called biofortification – breeding staple crops to contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals – has received much praise as a potential solution and more than $500 million in funding over the past two decades. We show that biofortification has not delivered on its promises and that an associated yield penalty means that it may never be able to. It is likely that investment in biofortification has starved more difficult, although ultimately more sustainable, efforts to improve the overall quality of diets. Meeting Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 will depend on a more holistic improvement of culturally acceptable diets.