Developing and Delivering Zinc Wheat: The Role of Wheat in Reducing Hidden Hunger

[email protected]

Wolfgang H. Pfeiffer

Developing and Delivering Zinc Wheat:

The Role of Wheat in Reducing Hidden

Hunger

The 21st Century faces Major Food

Security Challenges

Environmental degradation Nitrogen

Algae growth from fertilizer N

Sea of Cortez, Mexico

Source: I. Ortiz-Monasterio

The loss of Genetic Resources

1987 2003

A dwindling resources base Water

Alvaro Obregon Dam Yaqui Valley, Sonora

Mexico

2 billion people in the developing world

are iron deficient

Women and children are the

primary victims

Micronutrient Deficiency

Wolfgang H PFEIFFER

Hidden Hunger

2 billion+ affected Photo: C. Hotz

HarvestPlus - an interdisciplinary, global alliance

of more than 200 scientific and implementation

partners in over 40 countries that seeks to reduce

hidden hunger and provide micronutrients directly

through … high-yielding, high-profit varieties of

key staple foods that they eat

HarvestPlus is a joint venture between two CGIAR Centers, the International

Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) based in Cali, Colombia and the International

Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington, D.C.

addressed by

What can We do now?

• Diversify the diet expensive & out of reach for

many

• Fortify Food e.g. with iron, iodine

need access to the market - buy processed food

• Provide Supplements e.g. vitamin A, iron, zinc

need access to the health care system - high delivery cost

What can Biofortification do?

• Develop wheat, rice, maize,

cassava and other staples

packed with additional vitamins

or minerals….

• Nutritional benefits coming

from the crops, harvest after

harvest, with no additional

costs

• Reach those who are not

reached by other nutrition

interventions

HarvestPlus Impact & Product Pathway

Development of Crop Product

Concepts

Discovery: HPlus I 2004-2008

Determine Cost /Benefit

compared to other Interventions

Identify Target Populations &

Staple food consumption

Setting Nutrient Target

Levels

Screening & Determine

Breeding Feasibility

Initial Target Areas for Zinc dense Wheat

Baseline

Micronutrient Level

in Commercial Crop

25 µgg-1

Target Increment to

be added

12 µgg-1

ME1: Temperate Irrigated High

Production NWPZ

ME5: Irrigated High

Temperate Stress EGPZ

% of Physiologic Requirement1) for Zinc achieved by different Levels of +12ppm Zinc Wheat Intake

Consumed g/day

%

Requirement

1) Woman in child bearing age

Genetic Variation for Zinc & Iron in Wheat

Iron µgg-1

Zinc µgg-1

Variation to surpass the target in wild

relative species & synthetic wheat

+

Lack of genetic variation in adapted,

high yielding genotypes

-

Cakmak et al., 2009

Endosperm

Aleurone

Embryo

High Zinc

Wheat

Low Zinc

Co-localization Protein

Zinc Iron

Amino Acids


Nutrition Retention and

Bioavailability

Nutritional Efficacy Studies

on Human Subjects

Crop Development

Development: HPlus II 2009-2013

GxE Performance Testing in

Target Countries


Release C Seed Production

Launch | Test Marketing

Delivery: HPlus III 2014 - 2018

Advocacy

Delivery | Commercialization

Marketing

Awareness | Demand Creation

Acceptability Studies

Market & Product Development

Shakti man

Q #1: Can breeding increase nutrients to

levels that improve nutrition?

Will Biofortification Work?

Cassava

Vitamin A

Nigeria & DRC

Beans

Iron

Rwanda & DRC

Maize

Vitamin A

Zambia

Release Dates for Crops for Africa & Asia

2007

Sweetpotato

Vitamin A

Uganda

Pearl Millet

Iron

India

Rice

Zinc

Bangladesh

Wheat

Zinc

India | Pakistan 2015

2013

2012 2013

2012 2011

2013

2012

Biofortified crops released in 27 countries

18 in Africa, 4 in Asia, 5 in LAC

In-testing in 43 countries

26 in Africa, 8 in Asia, 9 in LAC

4 Vita-A , 5 Iron , 4 Zinc Crops

Sorghum Banana

Plantain Cowpea Potato

Lentil

Q #2: Are the extra nutrients

bioavailable at sufficient levels to

improve micronutrient status?


How do we know zinc wheat works?

2008 -

2011

2009 -

2010

2014 -

2015

Sangam Vihar, New Delhi Bangalore

Children 4-6 years &

Women in child bearing age

School children in Bangalore

n=1500 women & 1500 children

per group x 2 groups

n=150 per group x 3 groups

New Delhi; JHU & Subhart i Medical

College

ETH & St. John’s Medical College

Zinc wheat contributes a significant proportion of the Zinc EAR in

the target population P

Zinc in biofortified wheat is bioavailable,absorbed and utilized P

Does zinc wheat consumption improve zinc status of women and

children?

Q #3: Will farmers adopt zinc wheat

and will consumers buy & eat in

sufficient quantities?


> 1.5 million farming households reached 2011 - 2013

> 7.5 million farming household members consuming

Delivery / Commercialization

> 1.1 million

farming

households

targeted in

2014

Crop Development , Testing & Commercialization Partnership

Public Sector:

DWR – (ICAR) IARI - Delhi PAU - Ludhiana BHU - Varanasi

CIMMYT

Private Sector:

Ankur Seeds, Ajeet Seeds, Astha Beej Ltd, Bayer Crop Science, DCM Shriram Ltd., Krishidhan, Mahyco, Nirmal Seeds, Nuziveedu Seeds, Pantnagar Tarai Agri Seeds, Rasi Seeds, Shakati Vardhak, Sri Sai Seeds, Shriyanshi Seeds

What is the Way Forward?

Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT)

HarvestPlus III will demonstrate the

viability of biofortification as a global

solution and lay foundation for scale

by

HarvestPlus III 2014-2018 Strategic Priorities

Research, communicate and

advocate strategically

Strengthen the pipeline of biofortified varieties

Scale up delivery in target countries and

expand delivery to new countries

HarvestPlus Phase III Strategic Priorities

Scale up delivery in target countries and expand

delivery to new countries

Target Countries

• Implement country level business plans

Expansion Countries

• Scale up delivery of prioritized crops in target geographies through partnerships

• Develop & deploy technical assistance capabilities to support partnerships

Quick Assessment of the Relative Role/Value of Main Partner Groups

Breed competitive crops to target nutrient levels and broader applicability across agro-ecological zones & uses

Molecular markers & diagnostic tool development

Zinc as core trait / non-negotiable trait → endorsed by CG-Center DGs

Anti-nutrients & promoters Phytate / Phytase …

Strengthen the pipeline of biofortified

varieties

• Successfully develop next waves of crops

• Enhance knowledge base & deliver improved enabling technologies

• Mainstream biofortification

• Improve bioavailability of zinc and iron

HarvestPlus Phase III Strategic Priorities

Thank You!

Wheat India – Eastern Gangetic Plains Zone

Test marketing of 5 zinc

wheat leads - 1000 mini-

kits in 2013 -2014;

additional leads are in

testing