Over 700 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. Additionally, over two billion people are affected by micronutrient deficiencies. "Hidden hunger" refers to an inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Using estimates of daily nutrient intake, the authors illustrate the epidemic scale of hidden hunger worldwide. Their global assessment reveals that more than half of the world’s population lacks an adequate supply of vitamins B2, B9, C, and E, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, and iodine. Hidden hunger affects all nations, regardless of income level.
The Green Revolution, a period of agricultural development that peaked in the 1960s, spurred the creation of high-yielding, disease-resistant dwarf varieties of wheat, rice, and corn. These varieties doubled crop yields in Asia and saved more than one billion people worldwide from starvation. For decades, increasing yields was the sole goal of breeders and agricultural decision-makers. However, this approach resulted in bountiful harvests with declining nutritional value. The authors demonstrate that cooked rice contains the fewest micronutrients of all staple foods, including corn and wheat. Consequently, by 2050, an additional 239 million people may face a vitamin B9 (folic acid) deficiency, on top of the 2.5 billion people already affected today.
However, vitamins are essential not only for humans, but also for plants, as they play an important role in stress resistance. For instance, studies have shown that treating plants with thiamine (vitamin B1) increases their tolerance to drought. Generally, B vitamins, as well as vitamins C and E, protect plants from stress caused by drought, salt, and flooding. Therefore, focusing plant breeding efforts on the micronutrient content of crops could lead to healthier people and more resilient plants.
Comparing Current Breeding Methods
Biofortification, or the breeding of crops with enriched nutrient levels, became a focus of nutritional science in the 1990s. Since then, over 400 nutrient-enriched varieties have been developed using conventional breeding methods. These include wheat, corn, and beans with increased levels of zinc, provitamin A, or iron. However, enriching other vitamins has not yet been achieved through traditional crossbreeding. The authors conclude that, while conventional breeding is socially accepted, it faces natural limitations because it can only work with existing genetic traits and takes 8–15 years for new varieties to be introduced.
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