Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification

The CGIAR biofortification program, HarvestPlus, was founded with the aim of improving the quality of diets through micronutrient-dense varieties of staple food crops. Implemented in four phases – discovery, development, delivery and scaling – the program was designed to be interdisciplinary, with p...

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Main Authors: Birol, Ekin, Bouis, Howarth E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Frontiers Media 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140404
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author Birol, Ekin
Bouis, Howarth E.
author_browse Birol, Ekin
Bouis, Howarth E.
author_facet Birol, Ekin
Bouis, Howarth E.
author_sort Birol, Ekin
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The CGIAR biofortification program, HarvestPlus, was founded with the aim of improving the quality of diets through micronutrient-dense varieties of staple food crops. Implemented in four phases – discovery, development, delivery and scaling – the program was designed to be interdisciplinary, with plant breeding R&D supported by nutrition and socio-economic research. This paper explains the need, use and usefulness of socio-economic research in each phase of the program. Ex ante and ex post benefit-cost analyses facilitated fundraising for initial biofortification R&D and implementation in each subsequent phase, as well as encouraged other public, private, and civil society and non-governmental organizations to take on and mainstream biofortification in their crop R&D, policies, and programs. Socio-economics research helped guide plant breeding by identifying priority micronutrient- crop- geography combinations for maximum impact. Health impacts of biofortification could be projected both by using empirical results obtained through randomized controlled bioefficacy trials conducted by nutritionists, and through farmer-adoption models estimating impact at scale. Farmer and consumer surveys and monitoring systems provided the underlying information for estimating farmer adoption models and helped understand input/output markets, farmer and consumer preferences, and additional opportunities and challenges –all of which informed crop breeding and delivery activities, while building the knowledge base for catalyzing the scaling of biofortification.
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spelling CGSpace1404042025-12-08T10:29:22Z Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification Birol, Ekin Bouis, Howarth E. socioeconomics biofortification plant breeding staple foods research nutrition trace elements The CGIAR biofortification program, HarvestPlus, was founded with the aim of improving the quality of diets through micronutrient-dense varieties of staple food crops. Implemented in four phases – discovery, development, delivery and scaling – the program was designed to be interdisciplinary, with plant breeding R&D supported by nutrition and socio-economic research. This paper explains the need, use and usefulness of socio-economic research in each phase of the program. Ex ante and ex post benefit-cost analyses facilitated fundraising for initial biofortification R&D and implementation in each subsequent phase, as well as encouraged other public, private, and civil society and non-governmental organizations to take on and mainstream biofortification in their crop R&D, policies, and programs. Socio-economics research helped guide plant breeding by identifying priority micronutrient- crop- geography combinations for maximum impact. Health impacts of biofortification could be projected both by using empirical results obtained through randomized controlled bioefficacy trials conducted by nutritionists, and through farmer-adoption models estimating impact at scale. Farmer and consumer surveys and monitoring systems provided the underlying information for estimating farmer adoption models and helped understand input/output markets, farmer and consumer preferences, and additional opportunities and challenges –all of which informed crop breeding and delivery activities, while building the knowledge base for catalyzing the scaling of biofortification. 2023-07-03 2024-03-14T12:09:28Z 2024-03-14T12:09:28Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140404 en Open Access Frontiers Media Birol, Ekin; and Bouis, Howarth E. 2023. Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification. Frontiers in Plant Science 14: 1099496. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1099496
spellingShingle socioeconomics
biofortification
plant breeding
staple foods
research
nutrition
trace elements
Birol, Ekin
Bouis, Howarth E.
Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification
title Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification
title_full Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification
title_fullStr Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification
title_full_unstemmed Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification
title_short Role of socio-economic research in developing, delivering and scaling new crop varieties: The case of staple crop biofortification
title_sort role of socio economic research in developing delivering and scaling new crop varieties the case of staple crop biofortification
topic socioeconomics
biofortification
plant breeding
staple foods
research
nutrition
trace elements
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140404
work_keys_str_mv AT birolekin roleofsocioeconomicresearchindevelopingdeliveringandscalingnewcropvarietiesthecaseofstaplecropbiofortification
AT bouishowarthe roleofsocioeconomicresearchindevelopingdeliveringandscalingnewcropvarietiesthecaseofstaplecropbiofortification