{"id":50320,"date":"2025-08-04T18:16:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=50320"},"modified":"2025-08-05T12:20:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T06:50:29","slug":"bio-fortified-potatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-08-2025\/bio-fortified-potatoes","title":{"rendered":"Bio-fortified Potatoes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bio-fortified potatoes<\/strong>, with added<strong> iron content,<\/strong> will soon be available in Indian markets, said the Director-General of the <strong>Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP).&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bio-fortified sweet potatoes<\/strong>,<strong> with vitamin A<\/strong> added using technology developed by the CIP, are already available in <strong>Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The focus is on iron fortification in potatoes<\/strong>, the first variety has been released in Peru.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Now it is under the <strong>evaluation of the ICAR,<\/strong> and it needs to be adapted to the Indian growing conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>The CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC)<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>The CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC)<\/strong> is established <strong>in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.<\/strong><br>&#8211; It will not only serve farmers in <strong>potato-belt states like UP, Bihar and West Bengal but also cater to South Asian countries.<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Objective: <\/strong>To increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweetpotato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition.<br>&#8211; <strong>Governance:<\/strong> By a coordination committee that comprises the Secretaries of Agriculture of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.<br><br><strong>The International Potato Center (CIP)<\/strong><br>&#8211; The CIP was founded in <strong>1971 <\/strong>as a research-for-development organization with a focus on potato, sweetpotato and Andean roots and tubers.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; <strong>It delivers innovative science-based solutions<\/strong> to enhance access to affordable nutritious food, foster inclusive sustainable business and employment growth, and drive the climate resilience of root and tuber agri-food systems.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; <strong>Headquartered:<\/strong> Lima, Peru.<br>&#8211; CIP has a research presence in <strong>more than 20 countries <\/strong>in Africa, Asia and Latin America.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Biofortified Crops<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Biofortified crops<\/strong> are those that have been specially bred to have <strong>higher levels of essential nutrients<\/strong>, such as vitamins, minerals, or amino acids, than their conventional counterparts.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is done through traditional breeding techniques, genetic modification, or modern biotechnological methods.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f5f5f6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Biofortified-Crops.png\" alt=\"Biofortified Crops\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-50323\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f5f5f6; width:497px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Biofortified-Crops.png 550w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Biofortified-Crops-300x171.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> To improve the nutritional value of crops, especially in regions where deficiencies in essential nutrients are widespread.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Golden Rice<\/strong> has been genetically modified to produce higher levels of provitamin A (beta-carotene), aiming to reduce vitamin A deficiency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f0cbca\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"603\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/farmer-producer-organaization.webp\" alt=\"farmer producer organaization\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-50324\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f0cbca; width:461px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/farmer-producer-organaization.webp 603w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/farmer-producer-organaization-300x258.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need for Biofortification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f3f4f4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/need-for-biofertification.png\" alt=\"need for biofertification\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-50325\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f3f4f4; width:508px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/need-for-biofertification.png 550w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/need-for-biofertification-300x171.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of Biofortification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is regarded as the<strong> most sustainable approach <\/strong>to alleviate malnutrition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It provides <strong>nutrients in natural form<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biofortified food is affordable<\/strong> as it does not involve any additional price.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2018Biofortified varieties\u2019 are as <strong>high yielding<\/strong> as \u2018traditional varieties\u2019, thus no loss is incurred to the farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It does<strong> not require elaborate infrastructure<\/strong> facilities as required in \u2018food fortification\u2019.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Food fortification<\/strong> involves improving the nutritional content of food crops during the processing stage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It does not involve <strong>additional cost<\/strong> on preparing the enriched food grains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agronomic and Climatic Constraints:<\/strong> Biofortified varieties may not perform uniformly across different agro-climatic zones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Market incentives:<\/strong> Farmers may not get better prices for nutrient-rich crops, reducing motivation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of demand:<\/strong> Without public awareness campaigns, market demand remains low.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak integration with national nutrition schemes: <\/strong>Mid-Day Meal, ICDS, and PDS rarely include biofortified grains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited R&amp;D investment:<\/strong> Compared to GM crops or hybrid seeds, biofortification receives less funding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strengthen seed distribution and farmer outreach.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrate biofortified crops into government food schemes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve consumer awareness and market linkages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invest in region-specific R&amp;D and nutritional impact studies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/142518\/OPS\/GILEMFTNQ.1+GNAENISBD.1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Bio-fortified potatoes, with added iron content, will soon be available in Indian markets, said the Director-General of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP).\u00a0\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Bio-fortified sweet potatoes, with vitamin A added using technology developed by the CIP, are already available in Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The focus is on iron fortification in potatoes, the first variety has been released in Peru.\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs-hindi\/04-08-2025\/bio-fortified-potatoes\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":50363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bio-fortified-potatoes.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50320"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50381,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50320\/revisions\/50381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}