Through the production, consumption, and marketing of conventionally bred biofortified crops in India, HarvestPlus and Grameen Foundation India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase food, nutrition, and livelihoods security.
The collaboration will focus on health and nutrition initiatives, to enable vulnerable populations (especially women) to overcome poverty and hidden hunger.
Under the Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC) Programme, under this engagement, a pilot with biofortified zinc wheat has been undertaken in Uttar Pradesh, which is co-led by HarvestPlus and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
“We are delighted with this partnership with HarvestPlus, as it directly helps in advancing our mission to overcome poverty and hunger,” said Prabhat Labh, CEO of Grameen Foundation India. “By working closely with the Farmer Producer Organizations and progressive farmers, we are popularizing the adoption of biofortified seed varieties, which will go a long way in addressing micronutrient deficiency.
Biofortified wheat produced on 1,600 acres in this rabi season will be adequate to meet consumption and nutrition supplement needs of over 60,000 individuals,” he added.
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Grameen Foundation to help scale up production and consumption of nutrient-enriched crops in India,” said Arun Baral, CEO of HarvestPlus.
“The focus on women agripreneurs, in particular, is in line with our strategic priority of engaging and empowering women as farmers, family members and entrepreneurs,” he added.
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