Mitigation of Hidden Hunger through Biofortification: An Appraisal

Abstract

One form of hunger that is often ignored or overshadowed by hunger related to energy deficits is hidden hunger, also called micronutrient deficiency, which affects some 2 billion people around the world. This shortage in essential vitamins and minerals can have long-term, irreversible health effects as well as socioeconomic consequences that can erode a person’s well-being and development. By affecting people’s productivity, it can also take a toll on countries’ economies. Hidden hunger can coexist with adequate or even excessive consumption of dietary energy from macronutrients, such as fats and carbohydrates, and therefore also with overweight/obesity in one person or community. Poor diet, disease, impaired absorption, and increased micronutrient needs during certain life stages, such as pregnancy, lactation, and infancy, are among the causes of hidden hunger, which may “invisibly” affect the health and development of a population. Possible solutions to hidden hunger include food-based approaches: dietary diversification, which might involve growing more diverse crops in a home garden; fortification of commercial foods; and biofortification, in which food crops are bred with increased micronutrient content. Biofortification is a relatively new intervention that involves breeding food crops using conventional or transgenic methods to increase their micronutrient content. A number of global research showed the ability of biofortified crops to provide a steady and save source of certain micronutrients for people not reached by other interventions. This paper reviews several publications that looked into biofortification with respect to the environment, sustainability, human nutrition, culture and ethics from a variety of places around the world.