This piece originally appeared on Agri-Pulse.
By Dr. Howarth Bouis, founding director, HarvestPlus, and 2016 World Food Prize Laureate
This week hundreds of stakeholders with an interest in food security will convene in Iowa for an annual commemoration of the legacy of agricultural innovator Norman Borlaug. One of the highlights of this week-long celebration is the awarding of the World Food Prize. This year, I am humbled to share this great honor with three fellow pioneers in the field of biofortification - the process of enriching staple food crops with vitamins and minerals. Hundreds of partners around the world have made this shared success possible. From the very beginning, almost 25 years ago, U.S. leadership has played a key role in taking biofortification from a concept to the global movement of today.
‘Hidden hunger' caused by deficiencies in minerals and vitamins affects 2 billion people, with women and children most at risk. These deficiencies can cause profound and irreparable damage to health and the quality of life-blindness, stunted physical and cognitive development, low work capacity, and even premature death. Without nutrient-rich foods, the potential and productivity of vast numbers of people are cut short, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.