Seminar on Reducing Mineral and Vitamin Deficiencies Through Biofortification: Progress Under HarvestPlus
March 23, 2017 | 13:30 h - March 13, 2017 | 14:30 h
We kindly invite you to our seminar with
<link http: www.ifpri.org profile howarth-bouis external-link-new-window external link in new>Dr. Howarth Bouis (Institute Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Advisor with HarvestPlus) who will talk about
“Reducing Mineral and Vitamin Deficiencies Through Biofortification: Progress Under HarvestPlus”
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2017, 1:30 p.m - 2:30 p.m.
Venue: ZEF, right conference room, ground floor
About this lecture:
When HarvestPlus first started in 2003, there was much doubt among a range of stakeholders, that biofortification would work. First, we had to prove to the plant science community that higher target levels iron, zinc, and provitamin A could be bred into high-yielding, profitable varieties. Presently, over 100 varieties of eight biofortified crops have passed the agronomic tests of varietal release committees in 30 developing countries. Second, the nutrition community questioned the efficacy of biofortified crops – would the levels of retained nutrients and absorption be high enough? HarvestPlus has commissioned fifteen efficacy trials, all undertaken in developing countries. While five of these studies are still in process, there is already sufficient positive published evidence for iron and provitamin A, that the World Health Organization is now undertaking a systematic review of the evidence. This review will be completed and findings published by the WHO in 2017. Third, could the adoption of biofortified crops by farmers be scaled up, and a public health impact demonstrated? We are not there yet on the measurement of a public health impact at a national scale, but for example just four years after release of high-yielding, iron bean varieties in Rwanda, we now have rigorous evidence that 30% of farmers in Rwanda are growing biofortified beans on a regular basis. We estimate that 20 million farmers and consumers presently grow and consume biofortified crops. In short, we have proven that biofortification works. The final and major challenge is to mainstream biofortification into the fabric of “business-as-usual” of a range of organizations – public and private agricultural research, institutions that focus on bringing improved agricultural technologies to farmers including multi-lateral lending institutions, private companies, non-governmental organizations, and the policies and programs of national governments, regional organizations, and UN agencies. HarvestPlus intends to provide leadership in this effort over the next decade in one of the largest nutrition interventions ever undertaken.
As director of HarvestPlus during 2003-2016, <link http: www.ifpri.org profile howarth-bouis>Howarth Bouis coordinated an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional effort to breed and disseminate micronutrient-rich staple food crops to reduce mineral and vitamin deficiencies among malnourished populations in developing countries. Since 1993, he has sought to promote biofortification globally. In 2016, Bouis was awarded the World Food Prize, in recognition of the accomplishments of the HarvestPlus team. Dr. Bouis received his B.A. in economics from Stanford University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Food Research Institute, a program in agricultural economics. His past research at the International Food Policy Research Institute (which he joined in 1982 as post-doctoral fellow and where he is still employed) focused on understanding how economic factors affect food demand and nutrition outcomes, particularly in Asia. During 1972-75, Bouis worked as a volunteer in the Philippines with Volunteers in Asia.
