NUTRITION
Trade Innovation Climate Change Nutrition
After a long period of decline, undernourishment in LAC has continued to increase every year since 2015. Regional economies are sensitive to falls in global agrifood commodity prices, which typically lead to increases in poverty and malnourishment. The prevalence of chronic health conditions associated with poor diets, such as overweight and obesity, is on the rise. This has increased the burden on LAC healthcare systems and partially explains the disproportionately high mortality rate in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our program analyzes food system policies and their effect on nutrition for diverse countries in the region. We also provide critical insight into the impacts of food systems shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on nutrition outcomes.
Biofortification to fight "hidden hunger"
Biofortification is one of the many important innovation solutions to fight micronutrient deficiency or “hidden hunger”. IFPRI’s HarvestPlus program uses traditional crop breeding to develop micronutrient-enriched, climate-smart crops. Crops are bred to provide essential iron, zinc, and vitamin A to rural households improving their nutritional status, health, and livelihoods. In Latin America, HarvestPlus has released micronutrient enriched varieties in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru; with crops including iron beans, vitamin A sweet potato, zinc maize, and zin wheat. HarvestPlus engages public, private, and NGO partners worldwide to sustainably scale biofortification, enabling environments for biofortification (policies, programs, regulations, standards) and facilitating the delivery of biofortified crops.
