Making a Difference
CGIAR IMPACT AREA:
Nutrition, Health, and Food Security
Reaching 100 million
people in 20 years
Scaling nutrient-enriched staple crops with the HarvestPlus program:
people consuming
nutrient-enriched crops.
100 million
This review of research outcomes was written by Jenny Walton, Head of Commercialization & Scaling, HarvestPlus, IFPRI; Eleanor Jones, Program Coordinator, Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, IFPRI; and Alix Underwood, Research Analyst, Director General's Office, IFPRI. The CEROS site was designed by Lee Dixon, Senior Graphic Designer, Communications and Public Affairs Unit, IFPRI.
About IFPRI The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a research center of CGIAR, provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. IFPRI was established in 1975 to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting the food needs of the developing world, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries. Partnerships, communications, capacity strengthening, and data and knowledge management are essential components for translating IFPRI’s research to action and impact. The Institute’s regional and country programs play a critical role in responding to demand for food policy research and in delivering holistic support to country-led development. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world.
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This blog post is part of a special monthly series entitled “Making a Difference,” documenting the impact of IFPRI's projects and initiatives. These stories reflect the wide breadth of the Institute's research, communications, and capacity-strengthening activities around the world, in fulfillment of its mission. The blog series has been peer-reviewed by IFPRI's Impact Committee members.
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IFPRI is reaching the lives of millions of people through its contribution to policies and programs that reduce poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. This blog series highlights how IFPRI’s research is contributing to policy decisions and investments made by governments, development organizations, and other partners, and making a difference for food and nutrition security in developing countries around the world.
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Special Edition:
Celebrating
20 years
of Harvest Plus
new varieties of planting material available.
293
women trained on nutrition, agronomy, and business practices.
12 million
global partners scaling nutrient enriched seeds, grains, and foods.
750+
Micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc are key to healthy diets. They strengthen the immune system and protect against blindness, poor pregnancy outcomes, and other physical and developmental impairments. Unfortunately, one in two children and two in three women worldwide are affected by preventable micronutrient deficiencies — a problem known as hidden hunger.
People living in low- and middle-income countries bear most of this burden — in a number of countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, nine in 10 women are affected by at least one deficiency. A major cause of micronutrient malnutrition is diets heavily dependent on major staple crops including wheat, rice, maize, beans, cassava, potato, and millets — most starchy and lacking key nutrients. In some countries, these staples make up 70% of calories consumed, especially by the poor.
HarvestPlus helps these vulnerable populations by providing them with nutrient-enriched staple crops. Bred to contain higher levels of key micronutrients, these crops produce yields comparable to conventional varieties and do not cost farming households any more to grow. They have been scientifically shown to improve nutrition and health when eaten regularly — particularly for women and young children.
Nutrient-enriched crops are not meant to replace nutritious
foods like vegetables and fruits, but to complement
the important efforts to promote more diverse diets
by bolstering the micronutrient intake of those with
limited access to such foods.
The Problem of Hidden Hunger
Supplementation
Post-harvest fortification
Dietary diversity
Nutrient enrichment of staple foods
Soil health
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the HarvestPlus program, which is leading a global movement to rapidly scale up production and consumption of nutrient-enriched staple seeds, grains, and foods. It coordinates the nutritional improvement of staple crops and the distribution of these improved crops to consumers on farms and in the marketplace.
Over those two decades, breeders at CGIAR centers and in National Agricultural Research extension systems have achieved exceptional yield and nutrition gains in nutrient-enriched varieties. Hundreds of partners around the world have helped bring these seeds to farmers.
Nutrient enrichment of staple crops is the base of the pyramid of the many important solutions being implemented by CGIAR’s global research partners to ensure a food- and nutrition-secure future for all.
HarvestPlus’ Approach
to Hidden Hunger
Complementary approaches to tackling micronutrient deficiencies
The first nutrient-enriched crop variety, a vitamin A orange sweet potato, was introduced in Uganda and Mozambique in 2004. Over the next ten years, HarvestPlus released additional biofortified varieties of crops including cassava, rice, wheat, and beans; established a rich body of evidence on their benefits and the willingness of farm families to adopt and consume them; and began working with governments and seed companies toward the goal of scaling seed production. Soon, as farmers adopted these varieties, seed production expanded exponentially. Commercialization of the seeds, grains, and foods was a natural next step, as value chain players saw the yield benefits and consumer demand for nutritious, locally produced foods. Support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the MacArthur Foundation facilitated the commercialization of nutrient-enriched foods and growing private sector investments. To help this process along, HarvestPlus published its cutting-edge delivery model outlining the basics of taking biofortified seeds to market and getting nutrient-enriched foods on consumers’ plates.
Today, hundreds of nutrient-enriched varieties of 11 different staple crops have been released or are in testing in more than 60 countries. Over the years, HarvestPlus, working with its private and public sector partners, has helped over 20 million farmers gain access to seeds of biofortified crop varieties and over 100 million on-farm consumers to make nutrient-enriched foods a part of their diets.
Scaling Solutions
Nutrient enrichment is transforming diets and lives, and the number of vulnerable people benefiting from nutrient-enriched crops has consistently increased year after year.
Though the story of nutrient-enriched crops is still unfolding, there is plenty of evidence on the health benefits of various crops for specific populations. A study in Rwanda found that female university students consuming iron beans saw improvements in memory, attention, and physical abilities. Vitamin A maize consumption can protect against blindness caused by malnutrition and was found to increase the ability of vitamin A-deficient children in Zambia to see in low light conditions. Bangladeshi children eating zinc rice daily grew more in height compared with those eating conventional rice. Consuming zinc rice has also been shown to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.
Overall Impact of Scaling Nutrient-Enriched Crops
What may be HarvestPlus’ greatest “scaling up” success story took place in Pakistan, where more than 60 million people, including one in five children, have inadequate daily zinc intake, and wheat contributes to 72% of daily caloric intake. This high dependency made wheat a promising vehicle for tackling zinc deficiency.
Most nutrient-enriched varieties also deliver socioeconomic benefits. In Bangladesh, for example, zinc wheat was shown to yield 5%-8% more than popular varieties of wheat. Farmers readily adopt crop varieties that are high-yielding and pest- and drought-resistant. This is why, in 2015, after just four years of delivery efforts in Rwanda, iron beans made up 12% of national bean production. Forty percent of iron bean producers obtained the crops through social networks, indicating high farmer-to-farmer diffusion rates. Likewise, vitamin A maize shows promise of sustainable “anchoring” in Zambia, where 44% of growers bought seeds via the market, as opposed to receiving them via interventions.
In 2004, HarvestPlus, in partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and national agricultural research systems (NARS), bred, tested, and scaled zinc wheat in Pakistan. During the scaling phase, HarvestPlus aimed to produce enough seeds to broadly increase access and promote adoption by smallholder farmers. It also aimed to boost demand to reach higher procurement volumes from commercial supply chains and public procurement programs. These efforts culminated in an anchoring phase, when the private sector adopted research and development, production, and commercialization, and donor subsidies were no longer required for delivery.
By 2021, an estimated 7 million people in Pakistan were consuming zinc wheat, and the next year, a projected 55,000 metric tons of seed was produced through the private sector. Zinc wheat’s market share was projected to reach 20% of the certified seed sector.
Nutrient enrichment of staple crops is not a silver bullet solution. To create broad, sustained nutrition and health benefits, it is critical to link it with other interventions, such as the promotion of diverse diets and whole grain/high fiber consumption, climate adaptation, and regenerative and soil improvement projects.
There are also some opportunities that need to be embraced. Consumers not used to the orange color of the new high beta carotene varieties need assurance and information regarding the value of orange. Through compelling public education campaigns, such as campaigns in Zimbabwe and one in Nigeria led by Wandieville Media, HarvestPlus was able to associate the orange color with healthiness.
Moving forward, the HarvestPlus program must also appeal to actors along the value chain and implement digital tools that modernize programing and drive efficiency in food production, as well as incentivizing youth participation in agriculture. More challenges are certain to arise as HarvestPlus maintains scale and enters the “anchoring” phase in more countries. Investments are required to overcome these challenges and create demand in the food service and food processing sectors.
The Road to Reaching One Billion by 2030
Over its 20 years of existence, the HarvestPlus program has transitioned from its original identity as a research program to a scaling initiative. As part of IFPRI, HarvestPlus works from farm to fork, transforming food systems to improve nutrition and resilience, boost livelihoods, and empower women. Reaching 100 million people has required HarvestPlus to become a rapidly changing network with a breadth of skillsets and an entrepreneurial spirit. Now, on its anniversary, HarvestPlus is taking the opportunity to reflect — to celebrate achievements, learn from challenges, and chart the path forward. Looking ahead, the successful anchoring of nutrient-enriched crops in value chains will be necessary to meet HarvestPlus’s goal of reaching 1 billion people by 2030 and to make significant and sustainable strides toward ending hidden hunger. HarvestPlus and its partners engage and empower farming families to develop entrepreneurial capacity from crop production to food processing to consumer marketing. Current indications and projections show that the 1 billion target can and will be achieved. We can cultivate a world where every meal nourishes, empowers, and transforms lives.
20 Years of HarvestPlus: Enriching 100 Million Lives
This process involves the addition of
essential vitamins and minerals
to staple foods after they
are harvested.
Coordinated efforts in farming practices
to improve soil health for more
nutritious agricultural commodities.
Supplements provide a targeted and immediate source of essential vitamins
and minerals. They are not intended
to replace a varied and nutritious
diet, but rather to complement
it in cases where sources of
certain micronutrients are
scarce due to economic,
geographic, or health-
related constraints.
The ultimate goal is for every person to be
able to afford a diverse diet. Consumption
of various types of foods from different
food groups ensures intake of a
wider array of essential nutrients,
vitamins, and minerals.
As the world’s poorest populations
rely heavily on staple foods, this
is an equitable solution that can
reach everyone simultaneously.
Special Edition:
Celebrating
20 years
of Harvest Plus
Making a Difference
