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Handbook of Food Fortification and Health pp 371–384Cite as

Biofortified Crops with a Visible Trait: The Example of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato in Sub-Saharan Africa

Part of the Nutrition and Health book series (NH)

Abstract

The term biofortification refers to the intentional breeding of staple food crops rich in micronutrients. The extensive use of this term began around 2002, with the explicit aim of being a strategy specifically aimed to improve the health of poor people since over 60–70 % of their energy intake comes from staple food crops [1]. Biofortification is envisaged as being particularly suitable for reaching the rural poor, who typically have limited access to commercially fortified foods. Hence, it is seen as being complementary to industrial fortification. By integrating micronutrient breeding into traditional breeding regimes, the use of the approach can continue even if specific support for micronutrient interventions diminishes in the future [2].

Keywords

  • Orange-fleshed sweet potato
  • Vitamin A
  • Biofortification
  • Micronutrient malnutrition
  • Beta-carotene
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Nutrition
  • Food security

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Abbreviations

CBO:

Community-based organization

CGIAR:

Global research partnership for a food secure future

GDP:

Gross domestic product

g:

Grams

NGO:

Nongovernmental organization

OFSP:

Orange-fleshed sweet potato

RAE:

Retinol activity equivalents (vitamin A unit of measure)

SPHI:

Sweetpotato for Profit and Health Initiative

SSA:

Sub-Saharan Africa

SUN:

Scaling-up nutrition

VAD:

Vitamin A deficiency

VITAA:

Vitamin A for Africa

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Potato Center, 25171, Nairobi, 00603, Kenya

    Jan W. Low Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Jan W. Low Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Jan W. Low Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. University Hospital Lewisham, Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Kings College Hospital, London, SM68SU, United Kingdom

    Rajaventhan Srirajaskanthan

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Low, J.W. (2013). Biofortified Crops with a Visible Trait: The Example of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato in Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Preedy, V., Srirajaskanthan, R., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Food Fortification and Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7076-2_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7076-2_29

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7075-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7076-2

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