Table 1

Benefits of Biofortification

Sector
Benefits

Agricultural (crop)a, b, c, d, e
1. Improved root penetration (deeper roots); increased uptake of nutrients; benefits for trace metal-deficient soils.
2. Greater Resource Efficiency: greater drought resistance, requiring less irrigation; requires less chemical fertilizer.
3. Feasibility of breeding for uptake of specific nutrients.
4. Improved disease resistance.
5. Higher yields.
Economic a, b, c, f
1. Cost-effective (one time investment).
2. Targets rural population; provides nutrient dense foods to rural areas, where fortified foods from urban areas are not accessible.
3. Complementary to standard interventions (supplementation and fortification).
Populationa
1. Feasibile (no changes choice of staple crops).
2. No behavior changes required.
Programa
Sustainable (seeds are self-fortifying).
Sources
a. [9] b. [10] c. [19] d. [20] e. [21] f. [3]

Campos-Bowers and Wittenmyer Health Research Policy and Systems 2007 5:10   doi:10.1186/1478-4505-5-10