Crop Biofortification for Food Security in Developing Countries

Global food security concerns impact greatly on the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, which are heavily focused on eradicating hunger by 2030. The Global Food Security Index of 2019 has reported that 88% of countries claim their is enough food supply in their countries, but it is a dreadful reality that every one in three countries is facing insufficient availability of food supply as per the index, meaning more than 10% of the population is malnourished. Since nutrition is one of the main factors in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and meeting the requirements of food security, several national nutrition surveys conducted in various countries have provided an avenue for governments to assess malnutrition problems across the population. For example, the National Nutrition Survey carried out in 2011 in Pakistan indicated that more than 50% of the population was food insecure based on the nutritional status of available food. This survey also highlighted the acute deficiency of micronutrients in the diet resulting in several disorders, especially among the female population. In view of these facts, efforts are being made globally to enhance the nutritional value of our agricultural products, especially staple crops, by using several biotechnological approaches.