Uncorrected Proof Book ID: 318034_1_En ChapterID: 17 Dispatch Date: 04-11-2013 Proof No: 1 Chapter 17 Enhancing Nutritional Quality in Crops Via Genomics Approaches Meike S.Andersson, Wolfgang H. Pfeiffer and Joe Tohme Abstract Micronutrient malnutrition—also known as hidden hunger—is a growing 1 public health concern that affects especially women and children in the developing 2 world. Worldwide, at least 2 billion people suffer from vitamin A, iron, and zinc de- 3 ficiencies. Here we review recent advances in the application of genomic approaches 4 for biofortification of staple crops to enhance their nutritional quality and thus reduce 5 ‘hidden hunger’. The application of genomic tools such as marker-assisted selection 6 in conventional breeding or genetic modification offers sustainable and cost-effective 7 ways to provide essential micronutrients (here provitamin A or iron) to people in 8 developing countries. To maximize the benefits of genomic approaches for biofor- 9 tification, we need to extend our understanding of the genetic control mechanisms 10 and relative contribution from different rate-limiting steps for both provitamin A and 11 iron accumulation in edible plant parts. 12 In the past decades, modern agriculture has had reasonable success in increasing pro- 13 ductivity and meeting the energy needs of poor populations in developing countries. 14 However, micronutrient malnutrition—also known as hidden hunger—has been in- 15 creasing. Worldwide, at least 2 billion people, mostly women and children, suffer 16 from micronutrient malnutrition, caused by a lack of critical micronutrients such as 17 vitamin A, iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) in the diet (Kennedy et al. 2003; Micronutri- 18 ent Initiative 2009). In particular, zinc and iron deficiencies are a growing public 19 health concern, especially in the developing world (Fig. 17.1). Hidden hunger leads 20 to impaired mental and physical development of children and adolescents, and can 21 result in lower IQ, stunting, and blindness, as well as increased risk of diseases and 22 mortality (WHO and FAO 2006; Walker et al. 2007; Black et al. 2008). Therefore, 23 agriculture must focus not only on producing more food, but on delivering more 24 nutritious food as well. 25 J. Tohme () CIAT, 6713 Cali, Colombia e-mail: j.tohme@cgiar.org M. S. Andersson · W. H. Pfeiffer HarvestPlus, c/o CIAT, 6713 Cali, Colombia R. Tuberosa et al. (eds.), Genomics of Plant Genetic Resources, 1 DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7575-6_10, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014 Author's Proof