HarvestPlus Webinar Focused on Path for Scaling Up Biofortification Amid COVID-19

HarvestPlus hosted a webinar on “Improving Nutrition Security with Biofortified Crops: Lessons From COVID-19 on the Path to Scaling Up,” that engaged several practitioners in a lively discussion about how their programs have adapted to COVID-19 and the way forward for scaling up this nutrition solution. More than 300 participants attended the webinar.

HarvestPlus CEO Arun Baral kicked off the webinar by referring to the growing malnutrition trend worldwide and reiterating the importance of the growth and consumption of biofortified crops for creating more nutritious, inclusive supply chains. He cited estimates that the impact of COVID-19 could push as many as half a billion people back into poverty. At present, more than 2 billion people worldwide, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, suffer from micronutrient deficiency that can be addressed with biofortified crops and foods.