[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6599\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ENew strains of staple crops serve up essential vitamins\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMillions of people around the world hardly have enough food to survive. Many millions more may have enough to stave off hunger, but their diets lack micronutrients \u2013 vitamins and essential minerals. That can make them vulnerable to infections, weak bones or muscles, and problems with vision or mental health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy developing enriched versions of staple crops, researchers aim to produce foods that can meet the nutritional requirements for a healthy diet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need sustainable agriculture to feed the growing population with adequate nutrients, besides just enough calories,\u2019 said Dr Swati Puranik, of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University in the UK.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe aims to develop calcium-rich finger millet \u2013 a staple for millions of people around the world, including some of the poorest in Asia and Africa. The hardy cereal grows in areas of low rainfall where many other grains would fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing finger millet germplasm, Dr Puranik has identified more than a million genetic variations, known as single-nucleotide polymorphism markers, that she is assessing to see if they are linked with higher calcium content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe is also checking the markers for correlations with iron and zinc, as well as \u2018antinutrient\u2019 compounds such as phytate and oxalate, which interfere with the body\u2019s absorption and use of micronutrients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere markers indicate higher levels of micronutrients, Dr Puranik and her collaborators in Kenya and India aim to use conventional genomics-based breeding to come up with varieties of finger millet that contain higher levels of calcium and vitamins, without using genetic engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe is also assessing if her research can help improve rice and wheat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVitamin and mineral supplements can help overcome dietary deficiencies, but Dr Puranik believes that improving nutrition right from the farmer\u2019s field may have the strongest impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Developing improved food crops has benefits for farmers and their families, both economic and nutritional,\u2019 she said. \u2018And ultimately these calcium-rich products should have an impact in lowering rates of osteoporosis and calcium malnutrition in children or pregnant and lactating women.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer \u003Cspan\u003EEU-funded\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eproject, CaMILLET, targets conventional breeding methods, but other research has shown the strong potential of genetic modification in improving the nutritional quality of food crops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMultipronged approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Paul Christou, from the Department of Crop and Forest Science and Agrotecnico Centre at the University of Lleida in Spain, has genetically engineered maize and rice to boost vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin C, along with a wide spectrum of essential micronutrients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe sees value in conventional breeding to develop fortified crop varieties, but believes genetic engineering is the only current way to deliver a staple crop that meets the recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals simultaneously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018To my mind, in order to be successful in biofortification programmes, you need to address the micronutrient deficiencies in as complete a manner as possible,\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 13.008px;\u0022\u003Esaid\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 13.008px;\u0022\u003EProf. Christou.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe genetically modified maize varieties developed in Prof. Christou\u2019s BIOFORCE project, funded by the EU\u2019s European Research Council, have more micronutrients and an increased resistance to insect pests and parasitic weeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research has even opened up the possibility of reducing the uptake of undesirable minerals or elements\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 13.008px;\u0022\u003Eby cereal crops\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 13.008px;\u0022\u003E, such as cadmium, a heavy metal that can stunt brain development in children.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Calcium-rich products should have an impact in lowering rates of osteoporosis and calcium malnutrition in children or pregnant and lactating women.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Swati Puranik, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University, UK\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We are looking at very disruptive technologies, in the positive sense that we can have a staple crop, such as maize, rice and so on, that can deliver all the vitamins and essential minerals,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn following up on BIOFORCE, Prof. Christou received ERC funding for a new project, MULTINUTRIENT MAIZE, to assess prospects for transferring the modified crops to developing countries on humanitarian grounds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGenetically modified (GM) cereal varieties could have a major impact if they are accepted. But Prof. Christou recognises that not everyone is receptive to GM foods, even where they can improve nutrition for hundreds of millions of people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There are few scientific barriers to overcome, but even if you overcome all regulatory barriers, there are political barriers that prevent these crops from making the transition from the laboratory to the people in developing countries who need them,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EData\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lack of accurate data also hampers efforts to overcome malnutrition, undernourishment and dietary deficiencies in developing countries, says\u0026nbsp;Dr Jacques Berger, director of research at the French Institute of Research for Development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis makes it difficult for researchers and public health officials to identify the nature and extent of micronutrient deficiencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It is just as important to diagnose the cause of the problem as to prescribe the right solution,\u2019 said Dr Berger, who is based in Thailand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPreviously he was scientific coordinator of SMILING, an EU-funded coordination project to address micronutrient deficiencies in five Asian countries \u2013 Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Looking at the food consumed in each country showed that in each case it did not meet the micronutrient needs of the population,\u2019 he said. Of particular concern were iron, zinc and iodine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the SMILING research also showed that any action must fit the conditions of the country affected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/newsalertsignup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/news-alert-final.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022983\u0022 height=\u0022222\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch in Cambodia, for example, found that most anaemia cases in women and children were not related to iron deficiency, but to other nutritional issues and parasitic hookworms. So dietary supplements of iron would not improve their health and could cause other problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while supplements can be helpful to overcome some deficiencies, Dr Berger said he also favoured efforts to improve nutrition in staple foods. That would help to ensure sufficient micronutrients daily \u2013 which is particularly important for adolescent girls.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It is very important not to wait until pregnancy to make some interventions; it is far better for the population if we can ensure adequate nutrition before then,\u2019 he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-kn7qrqudjncgzmd0xgizg04330wvg1pswk8n6tcbydy\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-kN7qrQUdjnCgZmd0XGizG04330WVg1pswK8N6tcBydY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]