Pre harvest biofortification

Biofortification enhances the nutrition density of a food item through genetic changes in the plants. The process usually functions through conventional plant breeding or transgenic practices. Biofortification can provide a comparatively inexpensive, sustainable, and long-term means of delivering more micronutrients to people with micronutrient deficiency. Pre harvested biofortified crops can increase yields of early maturing crops which consequently increases food availability locally, nationally and globally. This approach in two-fold, it can reduce the children and individuals experiencing malnutrition who require treatment by complementary interventions, and it can help with maintaining improved nutritional status. Biofortification provides a feasible means of reaching malnourished rural populations who may have limited access to commercially marketed fortified foods and supplements. Moreover, it improves farmers’ economic and social well-being, especially in developing countries, a majority of the world's undernourished people are small-scale farmers living in developing countries.