AGRIBUSINESS: Cassava high in iron and zinc could improve diets and health in west Africa.

AGRIBUSINESS: Cassava high in iron and zinc could improve diets and health in west Africa. A new study shows that field-grown cassava plants over expressing a combination of plant genes can accumulate significantly higher concentrations of iron and zinc. 

 The "hidden hunger" caused by micro nutrient deficiency is a global threat to human health, with particularly severe impacts in Africa. 

In Nigeria, 75 percent of preschool children and 67 percent of pregnant women are anemic, and 20 percent of children below five years suffer from zinc deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia affects the immune system, stunts growth and impairs cognitive development in children, while deficiency in zinc causes increased risk of death from diarrhea, stunting and reduced cognitive development. 

Developing new varieties of a staple food crop with elevated levels of these two minerals could significantly improve diets and health. The elevated mineral levels of the 'bio fortified' cassava storage roots are retained after processing into common foodstuffs and are nutritionally available at levels that could have a significant impact on the health of cassava-consuming populations in West Africa.