The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the value of biofortified staple crops as a practical, cost-effective strategy for the delivery of essential micronutrients to billions of people—particularly smallholder farming families who cannot afford or readily access nutritionally diverse diets.
As a result of COVID-19 related income shocks and other disruptions, many of these farming families—as well as other low-resource populations—are relying even more on relatively affordable staple crops for sustenance. Biofortification can deliver nutrition through these crops.
The pandemic has also necessitated rapid adjustments by biofortification implementers to ensure that farming families are able to continue to access biofortified planting materials and farming support services, and can still access markets when they have surplus harvest.
What does the ‘COVID-19 effect’ mean for ongoing efforts to scale up biofortification globally, as a nutrition solution available under any conditions?
What are priorities for action by governments, funders, practitioners, and other stakeholders to keep the scaling up effort on track?