Last fall, I visited a Kenyan village to meet with local farmers. I noticed many small children running around and playing enthusiastically. Based upon their activities and size, I presumed they were about one and two-years-old. I was very surprised to learn they were actually closer to four and five years old. This particular village relies heavily on sorghum for its daily dietary needs, where it is widely perceived to be a healthy food, especially for young children. However, because of the poor nutritional quality of this staple crop, these children were at the developmental stage of toddlers. This village was a striking example of who could most benefit from a nutritionally enhanced sorghum.
The Challenge
Micronutrient deficiency, often called "hidden hunger," is not obvious until too late in a child’s development – when there is permanent damage that leads to a lifetime of consequences. In Africa, for example, up to half a million children become blind from Vitamin A deficiency. Iron and zinc deficiencies result in stunting of normal growth and increased risk of cognitive impairment, disease, and death from severe infections.
After conducting extensive research, crop biofortification was identified as a powerful method to potentially reduce micronutrient deficiencies in many African villages over time. So we selected sorghum. It is Africa’s second most important cereal and it provides the majority of daily calorie consumption for millions of residents. It is also one of the few crops that grow under sub-Saharan conditions because it is drought- and heat-tolerant. While sorghum provides a good amount of carbohydrates for local diets, it lacks a key nutrient, beta-carotene (essential for making vitamin A), and it includes a compound that naturally decreases the body’s ability to absorb and use iron and zinc.
A Collaborative Solution
The African Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) public-private collaboration was created in response to this challenge. Led by Africa Harvest, the project includes the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR-Nigeria), National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA-Nigeria), and DuPont Pioneer. Collectively, these organizations are actively working to help improve nutrition for the nearly 300 million people in Africa who depend on sorghum, but who do not have access to another staple that provides the essential nutrients that sorghum lacks. The ABS team has targeted Nigeria and Kenya as initial countries of introduction, with planned expansion in several other countries in East and West Africa. DuPont Pioneer will not collect royalties on the hybrids produced as a result of the ABS project.
Improving Health, One Seed at a Time
Through the biofortification of sorghum, the ABS consortium of African and American scientists has improved the amount and stability of beta-carotene and the absorption of iron and zinc. We have achieved beta-carotene levels that have the potential to deliver 100 percent of the daily vitamin A and 80 percent of iron and zinc requirements in children under the age of three. And, we have improved the stability of beta-carotene during storage by over 100 percent from four weeks to 10 weeks. Additionally, the ABS initiative supports capacity building, promoting industry and regulatory affairs framework and sustainable seed system development.
The Global Food Security Index has shown us that while the rest of the world has made significant progress towards achieving food security, many countries in Africa continue to lag behind. The ever increasing population is also posing huge challenges in providing a secure food future to the present generation and the next.
ABS demonstrates that we should not underestimate the role of agricultural innovation in providing measurable outcomes in terms of health and nutrition. The fact that this initiative can virtually eliminate vitamin A, iron and zinc deficiencies among children who consume sorghum as their staple diet is a stunning outcome. It could not have happened, however, without the close collaboration and support of equally dedicated people in Africa who established the relationships with local governments and regulators.
We now stand at a critical crossroads to ensure delivery of this healthier seed to the hands of the farmers in Africa. And we invite others to join us. Together we can do more than we can accomplish alone.