Ecological Impact of Biofortified Seeds

Source– This post is based on the article “Ecological Impact of Biofortified Seeds” published in “PIB” on 8th December 2023.

Why in the News?

The article has provided an overview on the various benefits of biofortified varieties and the initiatives taken to promote bio-fortified varieties.

What is Biofortification?

1) Biofortification is the process of improving the nutritional quality of food crops.

2) This can be achieved through agronomic practices, conventional breeding or biotechnology based approaches like genetic engineering and genome editing.

3) For example- ‘Golden Rice’ is fortified with Vitamin A

What is the Status of Biofortified Varieties in India?

1) Since 2014, 142 biofortified varieties including 124 of field crops and 18 of horticultural crops have been developed under aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

2) During past six years, more than 10 million hectare area including wheat, rice, pearl millet, mustard and lentil has been covered under biofortified varieties.

What is the Significance of Biofortified Seeds?

1) Nutritional value addition- Biofortified seeds are designed to contain higher levels of essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. This is especially important in regions where nutrient deficiencies, such as iron, zinc, vitamin A, and others, are prevalent and contribute to health problems.

2) Better yield- All the biofortified varieties are equal or better in yield to conventional varieties of respective crops.

3) Not expensive- Produce of these biofortified varieties is not expensive than the existing varieties in the market, as there is no yield penalty and no extra cost incurred in cultivation of biofortified varieties.

4) No ecological impact- These biofortified varieties don’t have any impact on ecological conditions especially on soil and water, as these are normally bred varieties and their water and nutrient requirement is like traditional varieties.

UPSC Syllabus- Indian Economy (Agriculture)