Biotechnological Interventions for

ABSTRACT Malnutrition affects more than half of the world population, particularly in developing countries. Progress has been made to control micronutrient deficiencies through supplementation and food fortification, but new approaches are needed, especially to reach the rural poor. Biofortification is the process of increasing the bioavailable concentrations of an element in edible portions of crop plants through traditional breeding practices or modern biotechnology. The delivery of mi-cronutrients via micronutrient-dense crops through biofortification, offers a costeffective and sustainable approach, complementing these efforts by reaching rural populations. Improving the nutritional status by developing micronutrient dense staple crops using the modern biotechnology is a highly effective way to increase economic productivity in agriculture and other sectors. Successful biofortification efforts could contribute by focusing on local crops and local varieties rather than global staples. The application of biofortified crops would benefit farmers by increasing their income in the long run