HarvestPlus

HarvestPlus works with an International non profit research network which does agricultural research all over the world and which accesses germplasm from genebanks all around the world. For example in Colombia there is an impressive collection of beans which we would use for accessing bean varieties. So depending on which crop we are working on we would find the genebank which has the germplasm – potato and sweetpotato in Peru, pulses in India, maize and wheat in Mexico. The list of genebanks is impressive and we are fortunate to be able to tap into these resources

Zambia is very fortunate to have three biofortified crops released: vitamin A (orange) maize, high iron beans and orange sweet potato. We work with partners to promote them because we believe that it will take all of us working together to reach the whole country.

I’m so pleased that you are part of an ECOWAS farmers group because our experience is that farmer groups are a powerful voice that can request their respective governments (through the National Agriculture Research system) to test and release biofortified crops. HarvestPlus is committed to sharing our experiences working with farmers to encourage adoption. This includes training materials, media and promotion materials. Currently we have a large program in Nigeria which has influenced several countries in West Africa (HarvestPlus, Bev Postma).

Hello, we’re thrilled to have made it this far in the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change competition. Thanks for your excellent questions. Here are a few answers:

1) As with any grant of this size, we will establish clear milestones and targets for every single aspect of our program. We will be responsible for meeting these targets for the lifetime of the grant. If we do not meet some of our goals, we will work closely with the MacArthur Foundation to learn from our experiences, adjust our strategy and improve our ability to cost-effectively deliver biofortified crops at scale. If we do fall short of some goals, we feel confident that other milestones will be exceeded along the way, allowing us to have a major impact on the lives of millions people in the fight against micronutrient deficiency.

2) The science behind biofortification is truly interdisciplinary, including plant breeding, nutrition and social sciences. We know biofortification works because the research has been conducted and/or validated by top scientists in these fields and peer reviewed at all levels (from study design to publication of the results).

For breeding – more than 150 biofortified varieties of 10 crops have been released in more than 30 countries.

For nutrition and social sciences – all evidence on nutritional impact of iron and vitamin A biofortified crops and the consumer acceptance and farmer adoption of these have been published in top field journals and presented at top academic conferences to get peer feedback and endorsement.

Here is a link to our evidence brief for further details http://harvestplus.org/node/609

3) We already feel like winners because of the visibility it has given us and because of the opportunity to learn from the Foundation’s experts and their advisors. If we don’t win the competition, we will continue to work with our 200+ partners around the world to accelerate access to biofortified crops.

The Codex Alimentarius definition of biofortification is undergoing its second submission by a working group headed by Zimbabwe and South Africa. The status is that the e-working group is integrating the three current definitions into one that the Codex committee will review in its next meeting. Once the definition is accepted by the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), each country with a biofortified crop ready for the market will propose the standard for said crop and bring it up to the Codex Alimentarius for approval. The approved definition will be promoted in collaboration with the WHO and FAO at the global, regional and country levels. (HarvestPlus, Bev Postma)