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Cereal protein biofortification at the interface of nutrition, yield and sustainability

Nature Plants (2026)Cite this article

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Abstract

Protein malnutrition remains a major global health challenge, particularly in regions where cereal grains dominate daily diets and access to diverse protein sources is limited. Cereals such as rice, wheat and maize provide most of the world’s calories, yet their grain proteins are often low in essential amino acids and poorly balanced for human nutrition. Improving both the quantity and quality of cereal protein therefore represents a critical opportunity to enhance human health while reducing reliance on environmentally intensive animal-based foods. In this Review, we synthesize recent advances in understanding how grain protein content and composition are regulated in cereals, and why protein enhancement has historically been constrained by trade-offs with starch accumulation and yield. We discuss how domestication and modern breeding reshaped carbon and nitrogen allocation in cereal grains, creating a starch-dominant optimum that limits protein concentration. Drawing on genetic studies from rice, maize and wheat, we highlight emerging strategies that improve nitrogen acquisition, amino acid transport, storage protein composition and endosperm buffering capacity, enabling partial decoupling of protein accumulation from yield penalties. Finally, we place cereal protein biofortification within a broader nutritional and environmental context. Enhancing protein density and amino acid balance in staple cereals can improve dietary adequacy for vulnerable populations while lowering greenhouse gas emissions per unit of nutrition. Together, these insights position cereal protein biofortification as a scalable and equitable pathway towards healthier diets and more sustainable food systems under global climate and population pressures.

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Fig. 1: Storage protein localization and regulatory control in cereals and legumes.
Fig. 2: High-protein cereal biofortification as a One Health framework linking molecular innovation, improved nutrition and environmental sustainability.
Fig. 3: Protein–yield trade-offs define safe, transition and penalty zones for cereal protein enhancement.
Fig. 4: Domestication constraints and engineering trajectories for cereal grain protein biofortification.
Fig. 5: Global burden of protein malnutrition, dietary patterns and food-system GHG emissions.

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Acknowledgements

J.Y. acknowledges funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 32321005). A.R.F. acknowledges the EC Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020) grant no. 101094738. N.S. acknowledges funding from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (grant no. CA-21-SS-0000000157), Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Temasek Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Rhowell Tiozon Jr, Junpeng Zhan.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consumer-driven Grain Quality and Nutrition Center, Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines

    Rhowell Tiozon Jr, Christian Dominic De Guzman & Nese Sreenivasulu

  2. Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany

    Rhowell Tiozon Jr, Zhengzhou Li & Alisdair R. Fernie

  3. National Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China

    Junpeng Zhan & Jianbing Yan

  4. Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China

    Junpeng Zhan & Jianbing Yan

  5. State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

    Xueyong Zhang

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  1. Rhowell Tiozon Jr
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  2. Junpeng Zhan
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  3. Christian Dominic De Guzman
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Contributions

R.T., A.R.F. and N.S. conceived the Review. R.T. and J.Z. wrote the original draft. R.T. prepared the figures. C.D.D.G. contributed to writing and prepared Fig. 1. Z.L. contributed to writing. X.Z. and J.Y. edited the manuscript. N.S. and A.R.F. edited the manuscript and supervised the study.

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Correspondence to Jianbing Yan, Nese Sreenivasulu or Alisdair R. Fernie.

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Tiozon, R., Zhan, J., De Guzman, C.D. et al. Cereal protein biofortification at the interface of nutrition, yield and sustainability. Nat. Plants (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02252-5

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