What is the goal of biofortification?

The goal of biofortification is to enrich food crops with essential nutrients. This approach is particularly focused on addressing micronutrient deficiencies in the diet, such as vitamins and minerals, that can lead to health issues. Biofortification aims to improve the nutritional quality of food crops through various methods, including conventional breeding and biotechnology, ensuring that the crops themselves provide a better source of nutrition when consumed.

This strategy is crucial for improving public health, especially in regions where malnutrition is prevalent. By enhancing the nutrient content of staple crops that are already widely consumed, biofortification can effectively contribute to reducing deficiencies in a population without requiring significant changes to dietary habits or food systems.

In contrast, while increasing crop yields, extending shelf life, or lowering agricultural input costs are valuable agricultural objectives, they do not directly address the nutritional quality of the food produced. Therefore, they do not align with the specific purpose and goal of biofortification.