BIOFORTIFICATION-A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL STRATEGY FOR REDUCING MICRONUTRIENT MALNUTRITION
PARKASH MEGHWAR
Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam-70060, Pakistan.
NIZAMUDIN CHANIHO
Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam-70060, Pakistan.
TAJAMUL ISLAM
Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Malnutrition is of great public health significance in several parts of the world, especially the developing and underdeveloped countries. Micronutrient deficiencies in humans can be mitigated through the process biofortification. It is the strategy of increasing the nutrient content in the edible parts of staple food crops for better human nutrition. Staple crops such as maize, rice, and wheat provide most of the calories for low-income families around the globe. Biofortification includes the enhanced uptake of such minerals from soils, their transport to edible plant parts, and improving the bioavailability of these minerals to humans. In paper, crop biofortification and malnutrition of essential nutrient have been discussed.
Keywords: Biofortification, crop, malnutrition, micronutrients.