Biofortification in cereals: progress and prospects

Abstract

ATTAINMENT of self sufficiency in food grains at national level, especially cereals, is one of the major achievements of the green revolution during mid-sixties in India. The nation’s food grains production increased markedly from 50.82 million tonnes in 1950–51 to 252.22 million tonnes during 2015–16, and a similar trend has been reported in the production of food grains since the past decade1 . Despite increased production of food grains, the 2016- Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report ranked India as 9th comprising 25% of world’s hungry population amongst the top 118 countries2 . According to Rapid Survey on Children (2013–14) conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, New Delhi, about 18.6% of new borns, 34.6% of children up to 3 years and 62.5% of adolescent girls suffer from malnutrition3 (Figure 1). Food deficiency disorders directly affect the health of an individual and indirectly the economy of the nation by increasing the number of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs – a framework, which quantifies the economic impact of disability and disease)4 . According to the World Bank–South Asia report, micronutrient deficiencies are responsible for losses amounting to $2.5 billion in India every year. The Government of India has made several interventions to address malnutrition; however, the incidence of malnutrition among women and children remains severe. The issue of malnutrition in the country is compounded not only by access to food, but also by social and cultural issues. Conventional strategies to combat malnutrition include dietary supplements and food fortification programmes. Efforts are now being made to fortify rice and wheat flour for iron (Fe), vitamin B12 and folic acid5 . Some of the constraints with these interventions include poor dissemination to the target population especially those residing in rural areas; sustaining them over a period of time and addressing the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. Dietary diversification is the ideal solution to alleviate malnutrition but not viable in the Indian situation considering the inadequate purchasing power of the poor people. Thus, the long-term solution lies in increasing the essential nutrient contents of the staple food crops, viz. cereals through crop biofortification strategy.