Biofortification moves forward in LAC Countries
A multidisciplinary team of experts gathered in Cali, Colombia for a workshop on setting breeding targets for biofortified crops in Latin American and Caribbean(LAC) countries. The meeting was held at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) which along with the International Food Policy Research Institute co-convenes HarvestPlus, a global program that improves nutrition and public health through biofortified staple foods.
The workshop brought together representatives from countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru, México, Nicaragua, Panamá and the United States. Rice, maize, cassava, sweet potato and bean are some of the food crops eaten in LAC countries that were on the agenda for discussion.
For Marilia Nutti, coordinator of HarvestPlus for LAC countries, the key objective was accomplished: making agreements on the goals and activities for this phase of biofortification. She said, “much valuable information was shared and I am confident that the result of this will be an improvement in nutrition for many poorer people in this part of the world.”