Poor quality diets are a primary cause of malnutrition and the leading cause of diseases worldwide. Biofortified and health-enhancing staples offer a promising solution to address hidden hunger and improve diets and nutrition, particularly for vulnerable populations. These staples provide essential micronutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin A, along with other health benefits such as low-glycemic-index properties and bioactive compounds. Despite their potential, challenges related to affordability, accessibility, and desirability hinder widespread adoption.
This session will showcase emerging evidence and potential solutions to accelerate the uptake of biofortified and health-enhancing crops and products. Experts will share plausible approaches, including breeding for bioavailability, strategies and scaling models for impact, and stakeholder engagement efforts for shaping relevant policies at country level. Discussions will focus on enhancing consumer acceptance, addressing seasonal availability, and fostering impactful public-private partnerships to improve access and desirability.
The panel discussion and interactive session will explore how biofortified and health-enhancing staples can contribute to sustainable healthy diets and drive policy and programmatic solutions for better diets and nutrition. Complementing the event, a dedicated booth will showcase a variety of OneCGIAR biofortified crops and products, highlighting their potential to address nutrition challenges.
