Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

Genetic technologies to enhance crop nutritional value under climate change

read original more articles
Why This Matters

Advances in genetic technologies for crop biofortification are crucial in addressing global micronutrient deficiencies, especially under the pressures of climate change and food insecurity. These innovations have the potential to improve nutritional quality sustainably, benefiting both consumers and the broader agricultural industry. As malnutrition remains a pressing global challenge, integrating such technologies could transform food systems and health outcomes worldwide.

Key Takeaways

Passarelli, S. et al. Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modelling analysis. Lancet Glob. Health 12, e1590–e1599 (2024). This modelling analysis combines micronutrient intake data from 31 countries with publicly available data from the Global Dietary Database, to estimate the prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes for over 99% of the global population.

Stevens, G. A. et al. Micronutrient deficiencies among preschool-aged children and women of reproductive age worldwide: a pooled analysis of individual-level data from population-representative surveys. Lancet Glob. Health 10, e1590–e1599 (2022).

Bouis, H. et al. Biofortification: future challenges for a newly emerging technology to improve nutrition security sustainably. Curr. Dev. Nutr. 8, 104478 (2024).

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP & WHO. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025: Addressing High Food Price Inflation for Food Security and Nutrition (FAO, 2025).

Headey, D. et al. Impacts of COVID-19 on childhood malnutrition and nutrition-related mortality. Lancet 396, 519–521 (2020).

Osendarp, S., Ruel, M., Udomkesmalee, E., Tessema, M. & Haddad, L. The full lethal impact of massive cuts to international food aid. Nature 640, 35–37 (2025).

Perez-Escamilla, R. et al. Nutrition disparities and the global burden of malnutrition. BMJ 361, k2252 (2018).

Chong, B. et al. Trends and predictions of malnutrition and obesity in 204 countries and territories: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. eClinicalMedicine 57, 101850 (2023).

WHO. Malnutrition fact sheet https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition (2024).

Borlaug, N. E. The Green Revolution, Peace, and Humanity (Nobel Prize lecture, 1970).

... continue reading