Collection 

Biofortification

Submission status
Closed
Submission deadline

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization nearly one third of the population worldwide suffers from hidden hunger, meaning they get sufficient food, but suffer from micronutrient and vitamin deficiency due to an unbalanced diet. Biofortification is a sustainable and cost-effective strategy to alleviate hidden hunger and achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as it allows for the nutritional improvement of staple crops through conventional breeding or genetic modification. Biofortified crops have contributed to improving the nutritional status of rural populations worldwide with well documented health benefits. Nevertheless, given the current predictions on climate change and increasing financial inequalities, the demand for such varieties is likely to increase in the future.

This Collection invites original research on biofortification, from the biochemistry of nutrient and pigment pathways, to the generation of biofortified varieties and their benefits in public health.

Close up of small purple tomatoes growing on the vines.

Editors