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Biofortified crops can help tackle malnutrition

Experts tell workshop

Staff Correspondent
The government should consider integrating biofortified crops into the food distribution system to make the nutrient-enriched cereals reach targeted people suffering from chronic malnutrition and "hidden hunger”, said experts yesterday.
Specialists from home and abroad made the suggestion at a workshop on biofortified crops yesterday.
HarvestPlus, a Washington-based global programme facilitating the development and promotion of biofortified crops, organised the workshop at The Daily Star Centre in the capital. Director of HarvestPlus Dr Howarth E Bouis presented the keynote speech. Member of HarvestPlus' Global Program Advisory Committee and Brae Advisor Dr Mahabub Hossain chaired the session.
The HarvestPlus programme is coordinated by the International Center forTropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Biofortification is a process where food crops rich in bioavailable micronutrients, such as vitamin A and zinc, are bred. Crop varieties developed through this process are termed biofortified crops. These varieties provide essential micronutrients and help reduce anemia, cognitive impairment, and other malnutrition-related health problems.
People suffering from a lack of essential vitamins and minerals in their diet are often referred to as victims of "hidden hunger". The signs of this form of malnutrition are often hidden. One out of three people in developing countries suffers from hidden hunger.
Last year, Bangladeshi rice breeders, with support from HarvestPlus, developed the world's first biofortified rice enriched in zinc. The main breeder behind the zinc-rich rice, Brri Dhan-62, Dr Alamgir Hossain was also present at the workshop.
The workshop informed that seeds of the rice have been widely disseminated among farmers in the current Aman season. Deficiency of zinc, iron and vitamin A hampers children's natural growth and decrease their disease prevention capacity.
In Bangladesh, over 40 percent of children under five are stunted, while an estimated 44 percent of the same age group are at risk of zinc deficiency.
Other biofortified crops in other countries include iron enriched beans and pear millets, and vitamin A enriched cassava, maize and sweet potato.
Dr Howarth E Bouis said 27 countries including Bangladesh have so far grown biofortified crops and more countries will join the bandwagon.
Dr Akhter Ahmed, chief of party of IFPRTs Policy Research and Strategy Support Program in Dhaka, recommended giving growers premium price for zinc-rice and distribute the food among the poor through various safety-net programmes.
Dr Mahabub Hossain noted that although people's income level had risen, poverty was still there and there were people who required the valuable micronutrients. So, targeting the beneficiaries of biofortified crops is very important.
Former finance minister M Sayeduzzaman emphasised the need for giving special attention to food safety.
He along with many other participants stressed removing the misconception that biofortified crops are genetically engineered.
Experts informed the workshop that biofortified crops are bred through conventional breeding process and there is no question of genetic modification in the process.
Dr Md Abdur Razzaque, project director of the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP), cautioned against banking on one crop for micronutrients.
In response, the organisers said they had never considered biofortified crops a "silver bullet” rather it was just one of the many approaches to fight hidden hunger.
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Representative in Bangladesh Dr Paul Fox, ICDDR, B scientist Dr Munirul Islam, and a wide range of stakeholders - from academics to agronomists, from public sector officials to private seed company representatives - participated in the workshop.