Bho MudyahotoSenior Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Specialist, HarvestPlus

Biofortification Progress and Evidence from Uganda

Micronutrient Deficiency• Affects 2 billion people worldwide (FAO 2013)

• In Uganda the VAD prevalence for 6–59 is 33% & 35% for

15-49 women (UBOS. 2012)

• Poor quality diets is one of the major causes

– High intake of starchy staple foods

(e.g. rice, maize, cassava)

– Low intake of micronutrient-rich foods

(e.g. vegetables, legumes, animal source foods)

SupplementationFortification

Dietary diversity

Biofortification

Fighting Micronutrient Deficiency

B I O F O R T I F I C A T I O N

•Process of increasing the density of nutrients e.g. vitamins and minerals through plant breeding or agronomic practices.

•HarvestPlus is the global leader in biofortification

Orange Sweet Potato production in Uganda

Breeding, Releasing, Disseminating & Growing Orange Sweet Potato (OSP)

• Uganda is among the 14 African countries that have

released OSP varieties

• 6 OSP varieties developed, tested, released since 2007

• In 2015 1,614 MT of OSP vines given to 132,000 HH

• Planted 1,979 ha (for direct distribution) and 1,0293 ha

• Recipients of OSP vines allocating 32% total SP area to

OSP varieties

Evidence: adoption & nutrition effect • The adoption rates remained high (> 61%) 2 to 4 seasons later

• Vitamin A intake of children under 5 had significantly

increased with OSP accounting for 53% of vitamin A intake

• The prevalence of low serum retinol was reduced by 9.5

percentage points for children under 5

• Intervention cost was about US$15 –20 per DALY saved

• MTF Models show that target of delivering ≥50% of the EAR

for vit A intake surpassed

Challenges & Lessons LearnedChallenges/barriers to scaling up

• Inverse relation btw β-carotene levels & DM content in OSP

• Vine production is a constraint in e.g. dry areas

• Vine quality control in the absence of a regulatory policyLessons Learned

• Need for a critical mass and network of vine multipliers

• Use community radio for demand creation messaging

• Strong social networks is essential for OSP vine diffusion

Key Messages

The Uganda case provides further evidence that:• When consumed regularly and in sufficient quantities,

OSP can deliver significant % of EAR for vitamin A • PPP are key to the development of a critical mass of

vine multipliers, an essential ingredient for scaling up OSP• Biofortification is a potential game changer in the

fight against micronutrient deficiency especially in rural communities

Thank you!