Biofortification Strategies for Nutritional Security in Root Crops

Biofortification of root crops has emerged as a pivotal strategy to address global micronutrient deficiencies by enhancing the concentrations of essential vitamins and minerals within staple tubers and roots. This approach encompasses genetic routes—such as conventional breeding, genomic selection and precision genome editing—as well as agronomic interventions including soil enrichment and foliar fertilisation. Key targets have included pro-vitamin A in sweet potato and cassava, iron in cassava and sweet potato, and zinc in potato and carrot. Integration of biofortified varieties into smallholder farming systems relies on multidisciplinary research that spans crop physiology, socio-economics, supply-chain analysis and nutritional epidemiology. Successful deployment demands varieties that exhibit high nutrient density alongside agronomic resilience to drought, pests and variable soils, and that fulfil consumer preferences for yield, taste and cooking quality. Coupled with participatory breeding and decentralised seed systems, biofortification delivers a food-based means of reducing hidden hunger in regions where root crops constitute dietary staples. In practice, scaling requires supportive policy frameworks, extension services that convey both agronomic and nutritional messages, and engagement with local markets to ensure sustainable uptake. By strengthening the intrinsic nutrient value of existing crops, biofortification offers a cost-effective and enduring complement to supplementation and fortification programmes, with particular relevance for marginalised communities in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America.

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Biofortification Strategies for Nutritional Security in Root Crops publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in biofortification strategies for nutritional security in root crops across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biofortification: The enhancement of crop nutrient content through genetic improvement or agronomic practices.

Micronutrients: Essential vitamins and minerals required in small quantities for human health, such as vitamin A, iron and zinc.

Pro-vitamin A: Precursor compounds like beta-carotene that the human body converts into vitamin A.

Genotype-by-environment interaction (G×E): Variation in crop performance due to differing genetic responses across environmental conditions.

Agronomic biofortification: The use of soil or foliar fertilisers to increase the uptake of nutrients by the edible parts of plants.

Genomic selection: A breeding method that uses genome-wide markers to predict and select superior plants for complex traits.

References

1. Direct and spillover effects of biofortified sweetpotato interventions on sustained adoption in Malawi. Food Policy (2023).
2. Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: the case of staple crop biofortification. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
3. Review of the facilitators and barriers to adoption of biofortified foods and food products.. Nutrition Research Reviews (2024).
4. Nutrient-Dense Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato: Advances in Drought-Tolerance Breeding and Understanding of Management Practices for Sustainable Next-Generation Cropping Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2020).