The contribution of transgenic plants to better health through improved nutrition: opportunities and constraints
Issue date
2013Author
Pérez Massot, Eduard
Gómez Galera, Sonia
Zorrilla López, Uxue
Sanahuja Solsona, Georgina
Arjó Pont, Gemma
Miralpeix i Anglada, Bruna
Berman Quintana, Judit
Sabalza Gallués, Maite
Yuan, Dawei
Twyman, Richard M.
Suggested citation
Pérez Massot, Eduard;
Banakar, Raviraj;
Gómez Galera, Sonia;
Zorrilla López, Uxue;
Sanahuja Solsona, Georgina;
Arjó Pont, Gemma;
...
Zhu, Changfu.
(2013)
.
The contribution of transgenic plants to better health through improved nutrition: opportunities and constraints.
Genes and Nutrition, 2013, vol. 8, núm. 1, p. 29-41.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12263-012-0315-5.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Malnutrition is a prevalent and entrenched
global socioeconomic challenge that reflects the combined
impact of poverty, poor access to food, inefficient food
distribution infrastructure, and an over-reliance on subsistence
mono-agriculture. The dependence on staple cereals
lacking many essential nutrients means that malnutrition is
endemic in developing countries. Most individuals lack
diverse diets and are therefore exposed to nutrient defi-
ciencies. Plant biotechnology could play a major role in
combating malnutrition through the engineering of nutritionally
enhanced crops. In this article, we discuss different
approaches that can enhance the nutritional content of
staple crops by genetic engineering (GE) as well as the
functionality and safety assessments required before
nutritionally enhanced GE crops can be deployed in the
field. We also consider major constraints that hinder the
adoption of GE technology at different levels and suggest
policies that could be adopted to accelerate the deployment
of nutritionally enhanced GE crops within a multicomponent
strategy to combat malnutrition.