[pronut-hiv] Biofortification or GMO

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

Thanks for this question George.  Ward is wondering about the same thing
- as are hundreds of other people.  As you can imagine the GMO questions
is a thorny one.  The answer is HarvestPlus' first line of research is
to use conventional plant breeding.  You know the kind that has been
done for decades.  Find a parent that is nutrient dense - though perhaps
low yielding and therefore forgotten - and cross it in.  So far we are
seeing some success in African crops: high iron bean, high zinc maize
and beta carotene rich sweetpotato. 

Biofortification does not necessarily require genetic modification if we
are referring to transgenic technologies.  That said there are a growing
number of projects, outside HarvestPlus, investing in GMO technologies
to increase the nutrient density of foods.  Genetic transformation is a
very powerful tool that in theory can also accomplish these tasks and
then some (like more nutrients) but for now we are going to try to
accomplish what we know works and can be disseminated as soon as
possible. Urgency is something we take very seriously.  

I am happy to discuss this with all interested parties further but in
order not to crowd the network with this issue, I would like to offer my
direct email, B.mcclafferty@cgiar.org

Bonnie McClafferty

-----George M. Carter wrote:
Subject: RE: [pronut-hiv] Biofortification Method (5)

At 07:02 PM 5/29/2006, you wrote:

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

Thanks for sharing this--but it raises a question.

 >For the time being HarvestPlus is focusing on biofortifying staple
crops
>that poor people grow and/or eat with iron, zinc and beta carotene.

First, why only these?

Second--needing more inputs? I take it that is a code for some how
inducing expression of some kind of gene construct that confers
resistance. Are these genetically modified foods? If not, how are you
fortifying the crops?

Fortification of foods has had a good impact for many things, but it may
sacrifice other needs such as B vitamins, folic acid, tocopherols,
iodine, selenium and calcium, to name a few. The micronutrient needs of
individuals living with HIV are higher.

Food and clean water is first. Getting enough is a simple if apparently
nearly impossible goal, due to many reasons that are largely rather
unsavory. But to my mind, we should be instituting programs for
provision of multivitamins/minerals for people in developing countries.

George M. Carter