RE: [pronut-hiv] Biofortification Method (4)

["McClafferty, Bonnie (HarvestPlus)" <b.mcclafferty@cgiar.org>]

As communication coordinator for HarvestPlus, I would like to respond to
the thoughtful questions emerging on the network related to
biofortification. 

HarvestPlus is a Challenge Program of the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural research.  Our mandate is to
increase the micronutrient density of staple foods to have measurable
impact on nutritional status - biofortify them.

We do believe that dietary diversity is the solution for achieving nutrient sufficiency but we also recognize that income dictates consumption patterns and that diets of the poor are made up of predominantly staple foods (upwards of 70%).  Thus the idea is quite simple...put more nutrients in the foods that the undernourished eat.  

For the time being HarvestPlus is focusing on biofortifying staple crops
that poor people grow and/or eat with iron, zinc and beta carotene.
During our first four years we are focusing on biofortifying six target
staple crops (rice, maize, wheat, cassava, bean and sweetpotato). We
plan to add 10 other crops in our second phase of research. We are an
alliance of 46 agricultural and nutrition research and project
implementation institutes including members of academia, government and
civil society in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin and North America.  

In answer to a few of the questions...

Needing more inputs
In order for farmers to want to grow these varieties they must be
agronomically superior and offer some sort of market advantage.  If they
do not have potential in the market, farmers will not grow them.
HarvestPlus is adding micronutrients to the latest varieties emerging
from national agricultural research systems.    In some cases
micronutrients are added to pest resistant varieties and therefore
require fewer inputs (in terms of pesticide), in some cases they are
added to the high yielding varieties planned for dissemination by the
national agricultural research systems - some more input dependant than
others.  In maize we are looking at OPVs (open pollinated varieties) as
well as hybrids.  

The propagation habits are different in each crop. Some are developed
from seed, others from tissue.  Sometimes the method of pollination is
an issue sometimes it is not.  What we do know is that on their own
these varieties will be more efficient at taking up nutrients from the
soil and storing them in the edible portions. We are also testing
whether they would store even more if micronutrient fertilizer is added.


It takes time
Between screening germ plasm banks to find parents for breeding,
performing crosses and backcrosses, and testing the varieties in various
target environments and with farmers, it takes on average seven years to
develop a new variety.  From here it must be tested with consumers,
markets must be developed, etc.  Yes, it takes a while to develop
biofortified crops.  

Public goods
All products developed from HarvestPlus, including research methods,
protocols and the biofortified crops are public goods that are developed
in collaboration with national agricultural research systems.  The
products are made available license -free to national agricultural
research systems in the developing world.
 
Where is nutrition?
Nutrition research is at the center of the program.  Nutrition
researchers set the targets for breeding taking into account,
consumption, bioavailability, absorption inhibitors and promoters, etc.
Our nutrition teams also perform extensive bioavailability studies in
vitro and in animal subjects as well as human test meal studies.
Retention of nutrients in the crops and products forms a third pillar of
the nutrition research work and finally efficacy and effectiveness
studies are performed on each crop under development.  

Biofortification is anything but simple and brief.  For more information
I would encourage those who are interested to visit our website
www.HarvestPlus.org.  

Bonnie McClafferty
Communications Coordinator
HarvestPlus
   

-----Stacia Nordin wrote:

You are exactly right Jinda.  These seeds have taken a long time in labs
to develop and create the seed.  I'm not sure which process they've used
to do the biofortification
 *  open-pollinated so that the seeds can be saved and replanted, or
 *  hybrid that are forced to cross and the seeds cannot be saved and
replanted, or
 *  genetic engineering that are forced to have a gene added and the
seeds cannot be saved and planted.

I would guess they are hybrid or genetically engineered.

Encourage people to plant and eat more nutrient dense foods, that is the
root issue of alot of our problems.

Stacia


----- "Jindra Cekan" wrote:

Dear Fuad Hassan Mohamed:

 While I very much appreciate your interest, I believe this
fortification is at the seed production level as it involves genetics.
Such seeds would then be given either to agricultural extensionists for
field trials or maybe for sale, but genetically enhanced seeds often
need quite expensive chemical fertilizers. Does anyone know more on
this? Very best wishes, especially during the drought there!

Jindra Cekan


      Jindra Cekan, PhD
CEKAN CONSULTING LLC
  Food Security/ Livelihoods and HIV/AIDS Proposals, Training,
Facilitation
323 11th Street NE Suite 100
Washington DC 20002 USA
  www.cekanconsulting.com
US tel: 202-375-3119
Czech tel: 420-731-106-296
-------fuad.hassan@fsausomali.org wrote:  Biofortification Method

However I want to apply to our Somali farmers so I need help from you
about the techniques of how to be fortifying the crops/seeds, what is
expecting to do during the plantation process including the availability
of fortified seeds and ways or strategies of implementations


I live in Northern Somalia particularly Togdheer region (Burao
district)
and I am nutritionist that why I am involving about this issue

I will look forward to hear from soon


Fuad Hassan Mohamed
Nutritionist Togdheer region
Burao
Northern Somalia