Healthy plants – healthy people: New approaches against hidden hunger
Over 700 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. Additionally, over two billion people are affected by micronutrient deficiencies. "Hidden hunger" refers to an inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Using estimates of daily nutrient intake, the authors illustrate the epidemic scale of hidden hunger worldwide. Their global assessment reveals that more than half of the world’s population lacks an adequate supply of vitamins B2, B9, C, and E, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, and iodine. Hidden hunger affects all nations, regardless of income level.
The Green Revolution, a period of agricultural development that peaked in the 1960s, spurred the creation of high-yielding, disease-resistant dwarf varieties of wheat, rice, and corn. These varieties doubled crop yields in Asia and saved more than one billion people worldwide from starvation. For decades, increasing yields was the sole goal of breeders and agricultural decision-makers. However, this approach resulted in bountiful harvests with declining nutritional value. The authors demonstrate that cooked rice contains the fewest micronutrients of all staple foods, including corn and wheat. Consequently, by 2050, an additional 239 million people may face a vitamin B9 (folic acid) deficiency, on top of the 2.5 billion people already affected today.
However, vitamins are essential not only for humans, but also for plants, as they play an important role in stress resistance. For instance, studies have shown that treating plants with thiamine (vitamin B1) increases their tolerance to drought. Generally, B vitamins, as well as vitamins C and E, protect plants from stress caused by drought, salt, and flooding. Therefore, focusing plant breeding efforts on the micronutrient content of crops could lead to healthier people and more resilient plants.
Comparing Current Breeding Methods
Biofortification, or the breeding of crops with enriched nutrient levels, became a focus of nutritional science in the 1990s. Since then, over 400 nutrient-enriched varieties have been developed using conventional breeding methods. These include wheat, corn, and beans with increased levels of zinc, provitamin A, or iron. However, enriching other vitamins has not yet been achieved through traditional crossbreeding. The authors conclude that, while conventional breeding is socially accepted, it faces natural limitations because it can only work with existing genetic traits and takes 8–15 years for new varieties to be introduced.
Mutational breeding accelerates the creation of new plant varieties by inducing random mutations in a plant’s genome through radiation or chemicals. This method has been used to produce iron-enriched rice and provitamin A-containing wheat. While it generates new variants quickly and inexpensively, it is highly dependent on chance because it does not allow for the targeted modification of individual genes. Market-ready varieties can be developed within 8–15 years.
The greatest successes in biofortification to date have been achieved through genetic engineering. The best-known example is Golden Rice, a transgenic variety that accumulates provitamin A in its grains, giving them their yellowish color. Golden Rice was developed to combat widespread blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency in Far Eastern countries. Due to strict approval procedures for genetically modified plants, it takes 12–16 years for new varieties to become established.
The authors state that new genomic techniques based on the CRISPR/Cas gene-editing system are the most precise and hold great potential for the future. Unlike earlier methods, CRISPR/Cas enables the targeted modification of specific genes. This emerging technology has produced a rice variety with increased zinc and iron content, among other applications. It takes approximately 2–6 years to develop new varieties. The strictness of the approval process and public acceptance of new CRISPR varieties varies by region.
In June 2026, the European Parliament adopted the amended regulation on New Genomic Techniques, paving the way for the liberalization of modern breeding methods, such as CRISPR/Cas. Under this regulation, CRISPR-edited plants, whose genetic changes could have theoretically occurred through natural mutation or conventional breeding, will be treated like conventionally bred varieties. "This is a great opportunity to accelerate the development of biofortified crops and effectively combat hidden hunger," said co-author Mustafa Bulut from the IPB.
The authors' conclusion is nuanced. None of the available technologies can solve the global micronutrient deficiency alone. To address this challenge, a combination of traditional and modern breeding methods is necessary. The authors emphasize that new varieties must first be developed in a laboratory setting. Therefore, long-term funding for this research is essential for successfully biofortifying staple foods.
Original Publication:
Van Der Straeten, D., Bulut, M., Cao, D. et al. Genetic technologies to enhance crop nutritional value under climate change. Nature 654, 877–891 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10593-6
Journal
Nature
Method of Research
Systematic review
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Genetic technologies to enhance crop nutritional value under climate change
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