Biofortified rice can provide people naturally produce Iron and Zinc. It is also says that biofortified rice can act as “hidden hunger” in human body.
Rice contains insufficient concentrations of iron, zinc and pro-vitamin A which is inadequate to meet daily nutritional requirements but by increasing the nutrition level in rice it is possible to meet the iron and zinc deficiency. Zink is responsible for good immune response and cell growth. Due to lack of Zinc severe level stunting may occur which may cause mental disability and chronic malnutrition. Likewise, Iron is also responsible for mental development and immune function.
Rice is consumed as a staple food all over the developing countries and can be the primary source of dietary zinc and iron if biofortified rice can adopt by its peoples. Many of poor people’s in developing countries cannot afford animal products more which is highly rich with zinc and rice consumption rate is high though contain insufficient nutrition and can suffer for malnutrition as a result.
Peoples need to be more conscious about malnutrition which can be adopt by creating awareness activity about iron and zinc deficiency and inspiring peoples for cultivating zinc enrich biofortified rice. The following measures can adopt to motivate peoples of consuming biofortified rice-
- Create campaign from local to national level about the benefits of bio-fortified rice.
- Aware people about the Iron and Zinc deficiency.
- Make acquaint the farmers with the success stories of biofortified rice.
- Create cost effective and high yielding breed so that farmers become more eager about bio-fortified rice cultivation.
- Create availability of the biofortified rice seeds
In many developing countries people depend on agriculture sector directly or indirectly so the key to end to poverty and hunger is to improve agricultural methods. As a part of agriculture development, Iron and zinc enriched biofortified rice cultivation can make a great contribution to combat with malnutrition. More research and promotional activity is indeed in this field.
References:
1. Bio-fortification – finding nature’s power foods (2011), irinnews.org
2. A biofortified rice high in iron and zinc is set to combat hidden hunger in developing countries (2016), phys.org
3. New rice high in iron, zinc (2011), sciencealert.com
4. Can biofortified rice ease “hidden” hunger? (2016), futurity.org
