Challenges and opportunities of bio-fortified crops in Bangladesh

Md Akter HossainDhaka I May 5, 2016

What is bio-fortified crop?

• Food crops (staple) that are more nutritious

• Most often means increased content of essential micronutrients (minerals and vitamins)

• Developed through plant breeding (incl. genetic engineering)

Why are micronutrients so important?

• Deficiency affect blindness, birth defects, mental health, and child survival.

• Vitamin A & Zinc important for immune system -deficiency increases mortality

• Lack of vitamin A can lead to blindness • Iron needed for physical & cognitive development • Zinc deficiency causes stunting in children• Women and young children most affected• 1 out of 3 people in developing countries suffers• In Bangladesh, over 40 % children under five are stunted while an

estimated 44 % percent of the same age group are at risk of zinc deficiency

Hidden Hunger

2 billion+ affected

What are complementary interventions?

Nutrition education

What are the advantages of biofortification?

• Capitalizes the regular daily intake of food staples . Implicitly targets low-income households

• After the one-time investment to develop fortified seeds , recurrent costs are low; and fortified seeds shared internationally. Cost-effective

• Once in place, the biofortified crop system is highly sustainable

• Fortified seed not incur a yield penalty. May have important indirect effects in increasing farm productivity by helping plants resist to disease and other environmental stresses.

Biofortified Nutrients TargetCrop Targeted nutrientsRice Zinc and iron

Wheat Zinc and iron

Maize β-Carotene and zinc

Cassava β-Carotene

Beans Iron

Sweet potato β-Carotene

Pearl millet Iron and zinc

Banana and plantain β-Carotene

Lentil Iron

Potato Iron

Sorghum Iron

Based on population needs, and the crop consumption by vulnerable populations, and the potential to achieve increased levels micronutrients through conventional

breeding

Current Scale/Pipeline of Biofortified Crops

Biofortified crops released in 27 countries 18 in Africa, 4 in Asia, 5 in LAC In-testing in 43 countries 26 in Africa, 8 in Asia, 9 in LAC

Crops Released: Africa

2007 2011 2012 2012

OSPPro Vitamin AUganda

CassavaPro Vitamin ANigeria DR Congo

MaizePro Vitamin ANigeriaZambia

BeansIron(Zinc)Rwanda DR Congo

Crops are high-yielding and with other traits farmers want

Crops Released: Asia

2013

RiceZincBangladesh India (2015)

Pearl Millet Iron (Zinc)India

WheatZincIndia (TLS)Pakistan(2015)

Crops are high-yielding and with other traits farmers want

2012 2013

• HarvestPlus and its partners work in 58 districts across the country to promote the availability, adoption, and consumption of zinc rice.

• The goal is that 1.4 million farming households will be growing zinc rice by 2018

Program

BRRI Dhan 62• World’s 1st Zinc-rich variety released in 2013• High protein (9%) • High Zinc (22-27 ppm) in polished stage, 30% higher than local

varieties, zinc in the endosperm rather the outer periphery of the grain

• Long slender similar to BRRI Dhan 28• Matures 100 days, faster than some traditional varieties• Suitable for T Amam-Mustard/Potato or Boro/Mung-Aus • Avg yield potential 4.2 MT/ha in T Aman

Progress & Opportunity

• 2nd rice variety with higher zinc content and yield than 1st variety

• Zinc 25 ppm, with yield over 6 MT/ha in Boro• These variety capable of fighting diarrhoea and

pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunting

• icddrb,b & its partner is assessing rice and total dietary zinc intakes in the country

• 3rd variet BRRI dhan72, T. Aman, 6-7.5; 125-130; 23

BRRI Dhan 64Opportunity & Impact

#SL Variety Season Grain Days to Zn(mg/kg) Yield (t/ha) maturity 01 BR7671-37-2-2-3-7 Boro 6.1-6.2 145 27.202 BR7833-11-1-1-2-1-2B5Boro 5.7-6.0 141 29.703 BRRI dhan28(ck) Boro 6.0-6.1 145 16.804 BRRI dhan49 (Ck) T. Aman 4.4-5.0 125 -

PROPOSED LINES OF HIGH ZINC RICE

Progress & Opportunity

• The government, NGOs and private seed sectors started supplying seeds to farmers and informed them of this technology

• High Zinc rice intake stared• Raise hope for 4 rice/year• As per international collaboration, the zinc-enriched

rice varieties developed in Bangladesh are now expected to export to Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam

Impact

Efforts to be make• Need to reach farm households with commercial seed • Need to develop sustainable markets for this seed and grain

to catch a substantial market share• Convincing farmers and consumers that biofertified crop is

worth growing and consuming • Providing public health education on the benefits of eating

biofortified foods• Developing agricultural infrastructure for adoption of new

biofortified varieties• Building effective partnerships of researchers and

entrepreneurs

Conclusion

• Biofortification very important for controlling micronutrient deficiencies

• Now need to get consumer acceptance, thereby increasing the intake of the target nutrients. With the advent of good seed systems, the development of markets and products, and demand creation, this can become a reality

Thank YOU ALL

Acknowledgement: For data sourcesWebsite of HarvestPlus, IRRI, BRRI & their valued partners News articles/website/blog