Abstract: Millions of people worldwide suffer from micronutrient malnutrition or "hidden hunger"; and it is mostly women and children in poor households who suffer from a lack of essential minerals and vitamins in their daily diets. These deficiencies can have devastating consequences for the life, health and well-being of the affected individuals, but they may also perpetuate a vicious circle of undernutrition, low economic productivity and poverty. Hence, in many developing countries vitamin and mineral deficiencies are public health problems of primary concern.
Economic development and rising incomes can only address undernutrition in the long run, but conventional approaches also have weaknesses that limit the overall progress in controlling micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore, "biofortification" may be a promising complementary intervention. The idea is to breed food crops for higher micronutrient content, which can be done through cross-breeding or genetic engineering. Targeting staple crops that fortify themselves already on the farmers' fields has several advantages: the enriched crops simply follow the normal food chain and they are eaten by the poor in bigger quantities. Moreover, the underlying germplasm of micronutrient-rich crops only needs to be developed once and can then be used around the world - and farmers can grow and reproduce biofortified crops year on year and share the micronutrient-dense seeds. Therefore, the initial investments in research and development (R&D) of biofortification can be followed by a continuous stream of benefits that accumulates over time and space, which suggests that biofortification can be a very cost-effective intervention.
Apart from two more limited studies that focused on "Golden Rice", which has been genetically engineered to produce beta-carotene, a more rigorous and comprehensive assessment of biofortification is still outstanding. This book has been written to narrow this knowledge gap and to offer a sound basis for future research and policy decisions regarding biofortification - covering both, crops that are produced through conventional breeding and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). For this ex ante evaluation of biofortification, an impact assessment of five different crops (iron-rich rice, iron-rich wheat, zinc-rich rice, zinc-rich wheat and beta-carotene-rich Golden Rice) has been done for India to determine their effectiveness. A scenario approach and various sensitivity analyses were used to probe the robustness of the results and to increase their reliability.
The main contribution of this study lies in the development of a methodology that reproduces the whole sequence of effects between the cultivation of the micronutrient-rich crops and their ultimate health impacts, taking into account various micronutrient levels in the crops, different rates of adoption and acceptance, and the ensuing improvements in individual nutrition status. To this end - apart from consolidating the use of the "dose-response" function to relate vitamin A and zinc intakes to overall health status, and apart from developing a method to link individual iron intakes via their cumulative distribution function to population health status - in this book the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) framework has been refined and applied to determine the disaggregate burden of disease of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), zinc deficiency (ZnD) and vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in India.
The assessment of the potential impact of the biofortified crops has been complemented by an economic evaluation, because mere effectiveness is a poor guide to policy making when resources are limited. Therefore, a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) have been carried out for each of the crops to determine their efficiency and their overall social profitability. The attributable costs of the R&D for the crops as well as the costs for related dissemination and extension activities within India have been juxtaposed to the expected health benefits. (In this context the costs for general social marketing campaigns and for more particular information, education and communication (IEC) programmes to introduce Golden Rice were explicitly taken into account.) The resulting cost-effectiveness measure ($/DALY saved) has been compared to alternative micronutrient programmes and to benchmarks of international organisations for assessing public health interventions. By attaching a minimum value to each DALY saved, the benefits of biofortification were translated into monetary terms to calculate a lower bound of the social rates of return of the crops. These economic indicators could then be compared to those of other agricultural technologies.
While conventionally bred biofortified crops are less contentious, genetically modified crops (GM crops) and, thus, the transgenic Golden Rice are controversially discussed in the ongoing debate about plant biotechnology. Therefore, related issues are discussed in more depth in special sections of this book. Having new consumer traits, Golden Rice is classified as second generation crop of the "gene revolution"; the validity of common claims about Golden Rice are scrutinized in a comprehensible and verifiable way; and, hence, the book seeks to provide a basis for informed decision making also in this field.
The study concludes that biofortification has the potential to help control vitamin and mineral deficiencies in a lasting and sustainable way - even though the commitment and the support of key stakeholders may be necessary to achieve its full impact. The various economic analysis have also shown that biofortification promises to be a very cost-effective, efficient and socially profitable intervention, both if compared to alternative public health measures and if compared to other agricultural innovations. Nevertheless, to control micronutrient deficiencies, the importance of a more comprehensive strategy is underlined; in such a strategy other micronutrient interventions like targeted supplementation, fortification, dietary diversification, nutrition education and poverty reduction may all have a role to play.
Abstract: Iron deficiency is a widespread nutrition and health problem in developing countries, causing impairments in physical activity and cognitive development, as well as maternal mortality. Although food fortification and supplementation programmes have been effective in some countries, their overall success remains limited. Biofortification, that is, breeding food crops for higher micronutrient content, is a relatively new approach, which has been gaining international attention recently. We propose a methodology for ex ante impact assessment of iron biofortification, building on a disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) framework. This methodology is applied in an Indian context. Using a large and representative data set of household food consumption, the likely effects of iron-rich rice and wheat varieties are simulated for different target groups and regions. These varieties, which are being developed by an international public research consortium, based on conventional breeding techniques, might be ready for local distribution within the next couple of years. The results indicate sizeable potential health benefits. Depending on the underlying assumptions, the disease burden associated with iron deficiency could be reduced by 19â58%. Due to the relatively low institutional cost to reach the target population, the expected cost-effectiveness of iron biofortification compares favourably with other micronutrient interventions. Nonetheless, biofortification should not be seen as a substitute for other interventions. Each approach has its particular strengths, so they complement one another.
Abstract: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects millions of people, causing serious health problems. Golden Rice (GR), which has been genetically engineered to produce β-carotene, is being proposed as a remedy. While this new technology has aroused controversial debates, its actual impact remains unclear. We develop a methodology for ex ante evaluation, taking into account health and nutrition details, as well as socioeconomic and policy factors. The framework is used for empirical analyses in India. Given broad public support, GR could more than halve the disease burden of VAD. Juxtaposing health benefits and overall costs suggests that GR could be very cost-effective.
Abstract: Background: Micronutrient malnutrition is a public health problem in many developing countries. Its negative impact on income growth is recognized in principle, but there are widely varying estimates of the related economic cost. Objective: To discuss available studies that quantify the cost of micronutrient malnutrition, and to develop an alternative framework and apply it to India. Methods. Detailed burden of disease calculations are used to estimate the economic cost of micronutrient malnutrition based on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost. Results: The short-term economic cost of micronutrient malnutrition in India amounts to 0.8% to 2.5% of the gross domestic product. Conclusions: Although the results confirm that micronutrient malnutrition is a huge economic problem, the estimates are lower than those of most previous studies. The differences may be due to differences in underlying assumptions, quality of data, and precision of calculation, but also to dynamic interactions between nutrition, health, and economic productivity, which are difficult to capture. Clear explanation of all calculation details would be desirable for future studies in order to increase credibility and transparency.
Abstract: Objective: To estimate the potential impact of zinc biofortification of rice and wheat on public health in India and to evaluate its cost-effectiveness compared with alternative interventions and international standards. Design: The burden of zinc deficiency (ZnD) in India was expressed in disabilityadjusted life years (DALYs) lost. Current zinc intakes were derived from a nationally representative household food consumption survey (30-day recall) and attributed to household members based on adult equivalent weights. Using a doseâresponse function, projected increased zinc intakes from biofortified rice and wheat were translated into potential health improvements for pessimistic and optimistic scenarios. After estimating the costs of developing and disseminating the new varieties, the costeffectiveness of zinc biofortification was calculated for both scenarios and compared with alternative micronutrient interventions and international reference standards. Setting: India. Subjects: Representative household survey (n = 119 554). Results: The calculated annual burden of ZnD in India is 2.8 million DALYs lost. Zinc biofortification of rice and wheat may reduce this burden by 20â51% and save 0.6â 1.4 million DALYs each year, depending on the scenario. The cost for saving one DALY amounts to $US 0.73â7.31, which is very cost-effective by standards of the World Bank and the World Health Organization, and is lower than that of most other micronutrient interventions. Conclusions: Not only may zinc biofortification save lives and prevent morbidity among millions of people, it may also help accommodate the need to economise and to allocate resources more efficiently. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings.
Abstract: Michael Krawinkel raises three issues in his comment to our economic analysis of Golden Rice. First, he questions the scientific basis of the assumptions that we have used in our impact assessment. Second, he claims that the development of Golden Rice costs âa lot of moneyâ and would mainly benefit âagrochemistryâ companies. And third, he states that biofortification in general and Golden Rice in particular cannot replace any of the established micronutrient interventions for the forseeable future. Concerning his first point, [...]
Abstract: Background. Micronutrient malnutrition is a public health problem in many developing countries. Its negative impact on income growth is recognized in principle, but there are widely varying estimates of the related economic cost. Objective. To discuss available studies that quantify the cost of micronutrient malnutrition, and to develop an alternative framework and apply it to India. Methods. Detailed burden of disease calculations are used to estimate the economic cost of micronutrient malnutrition based on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost. Results. The short-term economic cost of micronutrient malnutrition in India amounts to 0.8% to 2.5% of the gross domestic product. Conclusions. Although the results confirm that micronutrient malnutrition is a huge economic problem, the estimates are lower than those of most previous studies. The differences may be due to differences in underlying assumptions, quality of data, and precision of calculation, but also to dynamic interactions between nutrition, health, and economic productivity, which are difficult to capture. Clear explanation of all calculation details would be desirable for future studies in order to increase credibility and transparency.
Abstract: A News & Views article by Michael Grusak in last yearâs April issue (Nat. Biotechnol. 23, 429-430, 2005) highlighted the unresolved debate concerning the efficacy of Golden Rice in addressing the problem of vitamin A deficiency (VAD). He pointed out that an assessment of the potential impact of Golden Rice on this type of malnutrition requires the consideration of multiple variables, including the target individualsâ life stages, the average amount of rice consumed daily by these individuals and the percentage of â-carotene that would be absorbed from rice. He further explains how early critics of the original Golden Rice technology had used simple estimates of these variables to suggest that unrealistic amounts of the transgenic rice would need to be consumed to satisfy the recommended dietary intakes of vitamin A equivalents (exclusively) through rice consumption. [...] Genetic engineering (GE) in agriculture is a controversial topic in science and society at large. While some oppose genetically modified crops as proxy of an agricultural system they consider unsustainable and inequitable, the question remains whether GE can benefit the poor within the existing system and what needs to be done to deliver these benefits? Golden Rice has been genetically engineered to produce provitamin A. The technology is still in the testing phase, but, once released, it is expected to address one consequence of poverty â vitamin A deficiency (VAD) â and its health implications. Current interventions to combat VAD rely mainly on pharmaceutical supplementation, which is costly in the long run and only partially successful. We develop a methodology for ex-ante evaluation, taking into account the whole sequence of effects between the cultivation of the crop and its ultimate health impacts. In doing so we build on a comprehensive, nationally representative data set of household food consumption in India. Using a refined disability-adjusted life year (DALY) framework and detailed health data, this study shows for India that under optimistic assumptions this countryâs annual burden of VAD of 2.3 million DALYs lost can be reduced by 59.4% hence 1.4 million healthy life years could be saved each year if Golden Rice would be consumed widely. In a low impact scenario, where Golden Rice is consumed less frequently and produces less provitamin A, the burden of VAD could be reduced by 8.8%. However, in both scenarios the cost per DALY saved through Golden Rice (US$3.06-19.40) is lower than the cost of current supplementation efforts, and it outperforms international cost-effectiveness thresholds. Golden Rice should therefore be considered seriously as a complementary intervention to fight VAD in rice-eating populations in the medium term.
Abstract: Although less obvious than outright lack of sufficient food, micronutrient malnutrition represents an economic and public health problem in many countries. Over the last years zinc deficiency has emerged as another major micronutrient deficiency, with a large proportion of the population being at risk, especially in the developing world. However, simple quantification of the number of people who suffer from a condition fails to take account of the depth of the problem. For comparison, monitoring or impact assessment purposes as well as cost-effectiveness or more general economic analyses, the health loss of a condition needs to be measured in a more comprehensive index. In this chapter the concept of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is explained and a framework for its application to zinc deficiency is provided. DALYs were developed by the World Bank in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and are today used by many relevant organizations and for analyses in very different fields, in particular at the global level or in developing countries. By weighting the loss of an individual's functioning due to ill health - relative to death and complete health - DALYs allow measuring morbidity and mortality in a single index that can be aggregated and compared across different conditions. The methodology is explained and discussed, and general data and parameters to calculate the loss of DALYs due to zinc deficiency are reported for the example of India.
Abstract: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects millions of people world-wide, causing serious health problems. Golden Rice (GR), which has been genetically engineered to produce beta-carotene, is being proposed as a remedy. While this new technology has aroused controversial debates, its nutritional impact and cost-effectiveness remain unclear. We determine the current burden of VAD in India from a public health perspective, and simulate the potential alleviating impact of GR using representative household food consumption data. Given broad public support, GR could more than halve the overall burden of VAD. Juxtaposing health benefits and overall costs suggests that GR is very costeffective
Abstract: Hunger is acknowledged to impose a heavy burden on humankind with severe negative health consequences. Micronutrient malnutrition, or "hidden hunger", is an even more widespread problem, to which economic development and income growth alone are not expected to provide a solution any time soon. Existing micronutrient interventions like pharmaceutical supplementation or industrial fortification have their limitations and can be complemented by a new approach: breeding food crops for higher micronutrient densities. Knowledge about the cost-effectiveness of this new tool, also termed biofortification, is scarce. In this study, a framework for economic impact analysis is developed, which is then used for evaluation of iron-rich rice and wheat in India. Health benefits are measured and quantified using "disability-adjusted life years" (DALYs). The impact of biofortification is based on a representative data set of food consumption at the household level. Juxtaposing imputed health benefits with research and development costs proves the cost-effectiveness of the intervention; under pessimistic assumptions saving one healthy life year through biofortification only costs US$ 1.90, a cost which even declines to 36 Cents under optimistic assumptions. Extending the study to include a cost-benefit analysis shows that iron biofortification, with an internal rate of return of 74-152%, can also be a worthwhile public investment
Abstract: It is generally acknowledged that the Green Revolution has helped to prevent widespread famines, hunger and undernourishment. Yet, the Green Revolution mostly focused on solving the problem of protein-energy malnutrition and paid little attention to micronutrient malnutrition. Combating this hidden hunger, which affects and threatens billions of lives worldwide and which economic development and income growth alone are not expected to remedy any time soon, was left to non-agricultural interventions like supplementation and industrial fortification. Only more recently did the role of agriculture in addressing this aspect of food and nutrition security come to the fore: biofortified staple crops -- i.e. food crops that are being bred for higher levels of micronutrients like iron, zinc or provitamin A -- have the potential to improve public health in micronutrient-deficient populations. Yet, knowledge about the cost-effectiveness of biofortification is limited. This study analyses the expected costs and benefits of (i) iron-rich and (ii) zinc-rich staple crops in India, which are currently being developed in the framework of the HarvestPlus Challenge Programme of the CGIAR.
For the analyses health economics models that build on the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) approach have been developed; DALYs can be used to measure health as they incorporate mortality and (weighted) morbidity data in one single index. Health improvements due to improved nutrition can therefore be expressed in the number of healthy life years that are saved through an intervention; current and expected nutrition statuses are derived from nationally representative food consumption data. Given that both crops are not yet cultivated, these models are used for ex-ante studies. It is hypothesised that the continuous streams of health benefits resulting from a single investment in the development of biofortified crops will prove to be cost-effective. Preliminary results indicate that saving one DALY through iron biofortification costs between US$ 0.36 and 1.78. For zinc biofortification these costs range from US$ 1.80 to 8.90. Both sets of results would prove a high cost-effectiveness by World Bank and WHO standards and yield internal rates of return of 74-152% and 46-92%, respectively. These findings suggest that biofortification can be a worthwhile public investment.
Abstract: This study extends upon the findings of an expert workshop organised by the IPTS, compiling an overview of the current global pipeline of new GM crops and discussing the potential economic and trade impact of the emergence of new GM crops that are not approved in the EU. The pipeline of new GM crops is also intended to serve as basis for further analyses in the field.
New GM crops are being developed in more and more countries worldwide by more and more actors, i.e. by both private and public technology providers. Yet, before a GMO can be marketed, it has to pass an approval process. The duration of the approval process of new GMOs â and the regulation of how to deal with traces (low level presence, LLP) of unapproved GM material â differs between the EU and other countries worldwide. Also, some GM developers may release products for local markets and not seek actively authorisation for release in EU. It is from this heterogeneity that problems for international trade can arise for crops that may contain traces of GM material that are non-approved in the EU. The consequences for essential EU trade activities in agricultural commodities (for example rejection of shipments and closure of certain markets) are potentially far-reaching, not only affecting the producers of the crop, but also commodity traders and importers, as well as the EU feed and livestock producers.
Abstract: Functional food (FuFo) is defined as food that is taken as part of the usual diet and has beneficial effects that go beyond nutritional effects. Currently functionality is created during the industrial processing of food through the addition of bioactive ingredients. FuFo is gaining increasing market shares and the health claims made on food have recently been regulated at the EU level. Hence it is pertinent to analyse this market and its likely future development. It is also important to understand consumer attitudes and the cost-effectiveness of this approach. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the market size of FuFo. Estimates of the global market fall into a range of EUR 25-60 billion; a recent lower-bound estimate indicated a size of EUR 6.4 billion for the EU market. Dairy products and beverages have the biggest market share â followed by cereals only as a distant third. In terms of bioactive ingredients, probiotic bacteria cultures clearly dominate, followed by prebiotics. On the demand side a survey in four EU Member States showed that many grocery shoppers were not familiar with the term "functional food", although, when given examples, most of them had already bought FuFo. Better nutrition knowledge was correlated with a more positive attitude towards FuFo, and female, younger and richer respondents were more likely to buy it. The surveyed customers want FuFo to help them stay healthy and well, but taste and the general food quality was also important. Regarding research in the field of FuFo, the output of public and private entities within the EU â measured by scientific publications â is larger than that of the USA or of Japan. One policy-relevant field that has so far received little attention in research is the cost-effectiveness of FuFo as public health intervention. Yet, tentative comparisons with similar approaches suggest that food-based approaches may offer a cost-effective way of addressing health problems.
Abstract: The main objective of this study was to identify prospects, drivers, advantages and challenges of plant molecular farming (PM farming) with a particular focus on the EU. The report considers techno-economic, regulatory and wider policy aspects including stakeholder and public perception. It covers PM farming for producing biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, subsequently referred to as plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs) and plant-made vaccines (PMVs), and for plant-made industrials (PMIs) intended to be used for food and feed purposes (food supplements, food and feed additives). The study is based on literature reviews, document analysis and interviews. [...]
Abstract: Biotechnology is generally considered one of the key technologies of the 21st century, with a potentially wide range of applications in e.g. healthcare, agriculture, and industrial production processes. However, this notion has not yet been substantiated, as the diversity of sectors in which biotechnology is applied makes it difficult to investigate its actual degree of diffusion. Against this background and following a request from the European Parliament, the European Commission initiated the Biotechnology for Europe Study (Bio4EU Study). The study's objectives are to assess the contributions of modern biotechnology to the achievement of major European policy goals, and to increase public awareness and understanding of modern biotechnology. This report presents an analysis of the collected data with a view to assessing the contributions of modern biotechnology to major EU policy goals such as economic growth and job creation (Lisbon Agenda), and environmental sustainability and public health (Sustainable Development Strategy). As such, the study can be considered a background document of the Bio4EU synthesis report, which sets out the main findings of the study.
Abstract: This report sets out the main findings of the Bio4EU study. It is based on a series of more detailed background documents that are available on the Bio4EU website (http://bio4eu.jrc.es/). The study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of the contributions that modern biotechnology is making in the context of major European Union (EU) policies. The policy context: The study was set in the context of the EUâs Lisbon Strategy and Sustainable Development Strategy. At its March 2000 Lisbon summit the European Council endorsed the objective of making the EU âthe most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesionâ. In 2005 the Lisbon Strategy was refocused on economic growth and more and better jobs. In 2001, one year after the Lisbon summit, the Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted by the Gothenburg European Council, complementing the Lisbon Agenda. It was revised in 2005, identifying key challenges such as climate change, clean energy, public health and sustainable consumption and production. Biotechnology in general, and modern biotechnology in particular, is considered one of the key enabling technologies of the 21st century to support the Lisbon Strategy and sustainable development. However, there are few data on the actual availability and uptake of modern biotechnology products and processes. As a result, there is a lack of reliable information on the contribution that modern biotechnology is making to the Unionâs objectives. The genesis of the Bio4EU study: Against this background, in response to a request from the European Parliament, the European Commission decided to carry out a study assessing applications of modern biotechnology. The study was designed to provide input for the reflection on the role of life sciences and biotechnology in the renewed Lisbon Strategy and to help increase public awareness and understanding of them. The study was conducted between autumn 2005 and spring 2007 under the leadership of the European Commissionâs Joint Research Centre. It focused on current applications of modern biotechnology in its three main fields: medicine and health care; primary production and agro-food; and industrial production processes, energy and the environment. Modern biotechnology in medicine and health care: Human medicine and health care is the most prominent field of application of modern biotechnology, as the high share of biotechnology publications and patent applications targeted at this sector confirms. Modern biotechnology has widespread applications in human medicine and health care which make a significant contribution to the EU economy. Modern biotechnology directly contributes to around 0.04% of the EUâs gross value added (GVA) (based on 2002 data). The main product groups are: ⢠biopharmaceuticals, with a share of 9% of turnover from all pharmaceuticals in the EU in 2005. Examples include recombinant insulin or monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment; ⢠recombinant vaccines, with a share of 17% of turnover from all vaccines in the EU in 2005. Most recombinant vaccines are targeted at hepatitis B; ⢠modern biotechnology-based in vitro diagnostics (IVD), mainly immunoassays and nucleic-acidbased tests, with a share of about 30% of turnover from all IVD in the EU in 2005. Examples include detection of HIV by nucleic-acid-based tests and cardiac diagnostic assays for detecting biomarkers associated with heart attacks. Beyond that, modern biotechnology provides powerful tools for research and development work on biopharmaceuticals, but also on small molecule drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. These and indirect effects stemming from use of modern biotechnology products and the potentially improved state of health of EU citizens would add to the contribution to GVA. The USA takes the largest market shares (in terms of value) for biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and modern biotechnology-based in vitro diagnostics. However, the similar numbers of modern biotechnology products available on the EU and US markets indicate that EU citizens are also able to reap the benefits which modern biotechnology can yield, for example: ⢠unique therapeutic and diagnostic solutions (e.g. enzyme replacement therapy and genetic testing); ⢠unlimited supplies of potentially safer products (e.g. insulin and hepatitis B vaccine); ⢠superior therapeutic and diagnostic approaches (e.g. monoclonal antibodies and cardiac diagnostic assays). Mounting health care costs are a challenge for many European health care systems. Applications of modern biotechnology could contribute to reducing health care costs by virtue of their superior costeffectiveness over alternative products. Often, however, appropriate cost-effectiveness studies are missing or no alternative treatments are available. Apart from a few examples, such as nucleic-acid-based HIV testing which appears to be cost-effective, a conclusive overall assessment is therefore difficult. Modern biotechnology products tend to be relatively high-value products. For example, biopharmaceuticals and recombinant vaccines are dynamic market components displaying higher average growth rates than conventional products. The EU shows less development activity on biopharmaceuticals: only 15% of the biopharmaceuticals currently available were developed by EU companies compared with 54% by US companies. Moreover, US companies have about twice as many drug candidates in clinical trials as EU companies, whereas the share of biopharmaceuticals out of all drugs in clinical trials has been similar in both regions in recent years. [...]
Abstract: Biofortified staple crops â food crops bred for higher micronutrient content â are expected to reduce micronutrient deficiency and its accompanying adverse health outcomes. Health benefits can be measured and expressed in terms of the number of âdisability-adjusted life yearsâ (DALYs) saved due to the intervention. This quantification of health benefits can be used in cost-effectiveness and in cost-benefit analyses, by attributing a monetary value to DALYs and juxtaposing this benefit and the research and development costs of the biofortified crop. This handbook describes how to conduct these impact analyses for staple crops biofortified with iron, zinc or beta-carotene. It outlines the underlying method, explains the individual steps of the analysis, and details information and data requirements. The results of analyses of the type described here should prove useful for demonstrating the economic feasibility of biofortification, estimating its impact, creating awareness of this new intervention, directing research priorities, and identifying constraints early on.
Abstract: GMCC-07 is the third edition of a bi-annual international scientific conference on coexistence between genetically modified (GM) and non-GM agricultural supply chains. GMCC-07 will present the latest research findings in agronomic, biological and socio-economic sciences towards supporting feasible coexistence strategies between GM and non-GM agricultural supply chains. GMCC-07 will gather the multidisciplinary scientific community involved in addressing how agricultural supply chains can adapt to novel regulatory and market-driven coexistence requirements world-wide. Further, it will also serve policy-makers through access to the latest scientific information and in the identification of research needs with particular policy relevance.
Abstract: The Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V. (German Agro Action) held a one-day symposium on December 10th, 2004 in Bonn to discuss the potential role of genetic engineering (GE) in providing âfood for allâ, in particular in the context of developing countries.1 The international symposium was attended by over 40 participants, including scientists, government officials, representatives of non-governmental organisations, industry representatives and reporters. In the morning the symposium focused on the potential of GM plants to improve the production and living conditions of small-scale farmers in developing countries and on the related risks and opportunities. In the introduction the requirements for a technology to be pro-poor and a typology of risks of biotechnology were outlined. [...]
Abstract: Iron deficiency is a widespread nutritional problem in developing countries, causing impaired physical activity and cognitive development, as well as maternal mortality. Although food fortification and supplementation programmes have been effective in some countries, their overall success remains limited. Biofortification, that is, breeding crops for higher micronutrient content, is a relatively new approach. We propose a methodology for ex-ante impact assessment of iron biofortification, which builds on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and a large household data set. Our analysis of iron-rich rice and wheat in India indicates sizeable potential health benefits. The cost-effectiveness of iron biofortification compares favourably with other interventions.
Abstract: Genetic engineering (GE) in agriculture is a controversial topic in science and society at large. While some oppose genetically modified crops as proxy of an agricultural system they consider unsustainable and inequitable, the question remains whether GE can benefit the poor within the existing system and what needs to be done to deliver these benefits? Golden Rice has been genetically engineered to produce provitamin A. The technology is still in the testing phase, but, once released, it is expected to address one consequence of poverty â vitamin A deficiency (VAD) â and its health implications. Current interventions to combat VAD rely mainly on pharmaceutical supplementation, which is costly in the long run and only partially successful. We develop a methodology for ex-ante evaluation, taking into account the whole sequence of effects between the cultivation of the crop and its ultimate health impacts. In doing so we build on a comprehensive, nationally representative data set of household food consumption in India. Using a refined disability-adjusted life year (DALY) framework and detailed health data, this study shows for India that under optimistic assumptions this countryâs annual burden of VAD of 2.3 million DALYs lost can be reduced by 59.4% hence 1.4 million healthy life years could be saved each year if Golden Rice would be consumed widely. In a low impact scenario, where Golden Rice is consumed less frequently and produces less provitamin A, the burden of VAD could be reduced by 8.8%. However, in both scenarios the cost per DALY saved through Golden Rice (US$ 3.06-19.40) is lower than the cost of current supplementation efforts, and it outperforms international cost-effectiveness thresholds. Golden Rice should therefore be considered seriously as a complementary intervention to fight VAD in rice-eating populations in the medium term.
