BIOFORTIFICATION, AN ALTERNATIVE TO REDUCE FOOD INSECURITY AND ITS ADVERSE EFFECTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A HONDURAS CASE STUDY

Food insecurity can generate nutritional problems such as iron deficiency anemia, which in countries like Honduras is a moderate public health problem. The AgroSalud project is enhancing the iron content of beans and rice in order to improve the iron intake of vulnerable groups, especially children under five years and pregnant women. Iron- biofortified rice and beans together can reduce the deficit in iron intake by more than a 100% depending on the age group, farmer adoption and other variables. This, in turn, would increase the number of healthy (disability-adjusted life years, DALYs) years that the Honduran population could live.