Innovations in agriculture focus on every facet of producing a crop, from developing hardier varieties to higher yields and better disease resistance to increased nutrition. The latter is known as biofortification, research has been underway for decades on how to improve the nutritional composition of the crops, fruits, and vegetables consumed as part of our diets. Knowledge and awareness of healthier diets have also increased over time. Society is now on the cusp of being able to improve the health of their diet but also improve the health of the products they are consuming.
Producing Nutritious Foods
The nutrition of the foods we eat is mainly based on the soil that it was grown in. Soils that are rich in nutrients produce foods that are more nutritious. This is why fertilizer, be it livestock manure or synthetic, is so vital for food production. Nutrients are divided into two categories, macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur, which are commonly integrated into the fertilizer that is applied with crops at the point of seeding. Examples of micronutrients include boron, chloride, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc. In total, the production of healthy, nutritious crops is based on sufficient supplies of 17 key nutrients.
The nutrition value of the food item consumed heavily depends on the soil quality and nutrient availability, rather than the method used to produce the crop. Studies routinely confirm there is no nutritional difference between food produced through conventional agriculture compared to organic agriculture. In one of the most comprehensive assessments of food nutrition, one study reviewed 223 previous research studies, confirming that while people pay significantly more to purchase organic food products, these products are not more nutritious.
The Basics of Biofortification
Plant breeders undertake research on all aspects of producing the crop, known as plant physiology. Increased root mass allows plants to have more extensive root structures, which are then better able to draw on soil nutrients to support plant growth. The increased uptake of soil nutrients contributes to more nutritious crop production. Over the past 60 years, the use of fertilizers has contributed to a 50% increase in crop yields.
The innovation of gene editing technologies, which advance older mutagenic technologies, offer exciting potential for improved food nutrition. This ability increased with the development of genetically modified crops, such as with the development of Golden Rice, a rice variety that increased the production of vitamin A which would benefit nutrient deficiencies in Asian countries. Research is underway targeting increased nutrition in food crops, such as vitamin C (lettuce), folate (corn), and zinc (wheat).
Why This Matters
Many food insecure regions of the world are producing food while lacking proper fertilizer, resulting in soils being nutrient depleted. The lower levels of soil nutrient availability impact the crop being produced, meaning the consumable food product will be lower in nutrition than might have otherwise been the case with proper levels of soil nutrient availability.
Gene editing technologies offer tremendous potential to offset nutrient deficiencies in human diets in food insecure countries as the expression of nutrients can be increased within the plant, even in the face of limited soil nutrients. As an example, many developing world diets rely heavily on rice as a staple, often consuming it as part of every meal. Rice is not nutrient dense crop and overreliance on rice in diets can lead to nutrient deficiency. Through the application of gene editing, nutritional qualities in rice can be improved.
This technology is applicable to food production in commodity exporting countries, enabling trade in more nutritious crops and food products. This will ensure that the benefits of gene-edited higher nutritious foods reach around the world, especially to those battling with nutrient deficiencies.
