Scaling Biofortified Zinc Wheat through Policy Reform and Partnerships in Pakistan
By aligning targeted public investment, streamlined seed policies, and digital advisory platforms, Pakistan successfully scaled biofortified zinc wheat from 64,000 to over 3.1 million hectares, boosting smallholder yields and delivering crucial micronutrients to more than 20 million consumers.
In Pakistan, where micronutrient deficiencies affect millions, zinc deficiency impacts over 20 percent of the population and nearly 40 percent of women and young children. Because wheat is the country's primary staple food, biofortifying it with zinc offers a sustainable, cost-effective approach to improving public health. Between 2019 and 2023, Pakistan transformed its Zinc Wheat initiative from a small-scale pilot into a national success story. Initially hindered by weak seed systems, low public investment, and limited farmer awareness, the initiative achieved unprecedented growth by overhauling the enabling environment for biofortified crops.
The transformation was centered in Punjab, the province accounting for the majority of Pakistan's wheat production. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and HarvestPlus (an initiative spearheaded by the International Food Policy Research Institute) collaborated with the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute to develop high-yielding, zinc-rich wheat varieties like Akbar-19 and Zincol-16. To overcome historical bottlenecks in early generation seed production, the Punjab Agriculture Department invested targeted public funding to multiply breeder seeds. Simultaneously, provincial authorities streamlined seed certification, protected breeder rights, and integrated biofortified varieties directly into official wheat production plans and input subsidy programs.
Addressing the demand side required innovative outreach to bridge information gaps among smallholders. Partnering with Precision Agriculture for Development, HarvestPlus rolled out customized digital advisory campaigns using mobile text messages and robocalls to inform farmers about the dual yield and health benefits of zinc wheat. These digital efforts, paired with public-private partnerships involving local seed companies, synchronized seed multiplication with farmer demand. As a result, farmers gained affordable access to certified, high-performing seeds that yielded well in the field and met market preferences for grain quality.
The impact of these coordinated policy, technical, and market interventions was dramatic. Seed production expanded from five million kilograms in 2019 to nearly 179 million kilograms in 2023, while the total area planted with zinc wheat surged from 64,000 to over 3.1 million hectares. This rapid expansion reached 3.3 million farming households and provided biofortified wheat to more than 20 million consumers across Pakistan. By aligning research innovation with supportive regulatory frameworks, public investment, and private-sector distribution, Pakistan created a scalable model for nutrition-sensitive agriculture that strengthens food security and improves public health nationwide.
Read the full Enabling Environment Success Story here.
Compiled by the CGIAR Scaling for Impact (S4I) program, the “Enabling Environment Success and Failure Stories” is a collection of accounts that chronicles both the successful and unsuccessful efforts in creating a supportive environment for scaling agrifood system innovations. Through compelling narratives that highlight specific challenges, key players, and outcomes, this series is designed to demonstrate how CGIAR actively influences and strengthens these environments to achieve a wider, more impactful reach.