Teaming Up to Tackle Nutrient Deficiency in Africa

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Corteva Agriscience, Africa Harvest and others collaborate to develop biofortified sorghum, potentially improving the quality of life of nearly 300 million Africans who rely on the grain for dietary needs

While sorghum may not be in your regular dinner rotation, nearly 300 million people in Africa depend on the crop as a staple food and a key to everyday survival. Although it tolerates drier climates where little else will, this grain provides low levels of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, iron and zinc. Deficits in these contribute to high rates of anemia and disease, as well as impediments to growth and cognitive development among children in Africa.

To improve the health of the millions of Africans who rely on sorghum, The Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) Project leverages a public-private partnership with organizations such as Corteva Agriscience to enhance sorghum’s nutritional quality through biofortification of essential vitamins and minerals in the grain.

A Collaborative Solution

Establishing biotechnology-based agricultural solutions that provide improved nutrition to a continent as complex as Africa is a daunting task. It takes local leadership, collaboration, and the expertise of many to tackle this significant nutrition and health challenge.

That expertise derives from a collaboration between the Kenya-based nonprofit Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International, Inc. and Corteva. Corteva provides scientific innovation and knowledge in plant genetics and large-scale agricultural systems, while Africa Harvest plays a critical role in providing scientific and strategic leadership for ABS Project activities in Africa.

"The partnership between Corteva and Africa Harvest was the foundation for the success of the ABS Project. The private-sector experience and research discipline from Corteva, combined with Africa Harvest’s network of critical local science and research organizations, advanced this project in a very promising way,” shares Dr. Florence Wambugu, co-principal investigator and Africa Harvest CEO.

"The partnership between Corteva and Africa Harvest was the foundation for the success of the ABS Project. The private-sector experience and research discipline from Corteva, combined with Africa Harvest’s network of critical local science and research organizations, advanced this project in a very promising way.”

-Dr. Florence Wambugu, co-principal investigator and Africa Harvest CEO

Dr. Florence Wambugu (left) and Dr. Marc Albertsen (middle), and project manager, Silas Obukosia (right), take a break during project work.

Developing More Nutritious Sorghum, One Step at a Time

What initially seemed like a straightforward approach to boosting vitamin A production in sorghum took a healthy dose of perseverance and novel science to substantially increase the nutritional value of this staple food.

Sorghum lacks beta-carotene, a pigment the human body converts to vitamin A. Corteva researchers quickly learned that simply producing this pigment in sorghum did not lead to stable levels of beta-carotene in the grain. After thorough investigation, project scientists identified oxidation as one of the main factors in the rapid breakdown of beta-carotene in sorghum. By inserting a gene from barley that increases the production of the antioxidant, vitamin E, they reduced oxidation and slowed the beta-carotene breakdown, boosting the nutritional value of sorghum. This breakthrough also led to a collaborative research publication with our partners at Africa Harvest.¹

Additionally, while sorghum contains adequate amounts of iron and zinc, the human body is unable to use them due to phytate, a natural compound in the plant that renders iron and zinc unavailable to human digestion. Phytate is important to seed germination and other plant processes, so simply disrupting its production was not an option. Instead, researchers found a clever way to express an enzyme, called phytase, which eliminates phytate only after the grain is ground and prepared for cooking. Tackling these nutrient deficiencies in sorghum provided a much-needed tool to address significant health concerns faced by people who rely on this grain as a critical part of their diet.

Beyond the Lab, Inclusive Innovation and Collaboration is Key

The work of ABS is not confined to the lab; success is tied closely to working side by side with local communities, governments and farmers to ensure they are equipped with information and understand the technology. Delivering biofortified sorghum to Africa requires collaboration at every stage of the process.

Dr. Marc Albertsen, former Corteva Ag Equity Initiatives Leader, led Corteva’s partnership with ABS since 2009. His visits to African villages that rely on sorghum underline the importance of on-the-ground collaboration and the personal connections upon which ABS is built.

“I saw many small children playing. I thought they were two or three years old, but soon learned they were actually four or five. This village relied on sorghum for its daily dietary needs. However, because of sorghum’s poor nutritional quality, these children were at the developmental stage of toddlers. For me, it was a very moving example of who can benefit most from biofortified sorghum,” shared Dr. Albertsen.

Dr. Albertsen and his team also used their time in Africa to better understand local agriculture and food preparation methods to ensure that the new technologies fit with local practices and culture.

Africa Harvest scientists also joined Corteva teams in Johnston, Iowa to exchange scientific knowledge and better prepare for field trials and testing – furthering the strong relationships and connections that make ABS a life-changing success.

Co-Principle Investigators, Dr. Albertsen and Dr. Wambugu, inspect sorghum.

Ensuring the Delivery of Biofortified Sorghum to Farmers in Africa

Collaborative projects like ABS demonstrates how cutting-edge science and inclusive, open innovation are helping to solve global challenges through local solutions.

Long-term success would include overcoming regulatory hurdles to allow trait introgression with local varieties to enable use by the smallholder farmer.

In addition to the passionate people working together on this project, building a successful long-term collaboration also requires dedicated funding. The initial funding for ABS and follow-up support were provided by prominent philanthropic foundations. A private donor, along with Corteva, supported the most recent phase of collaboration with Africa Harvest. To ensure the project can reach its potential and benefit those who need it most, ABS welcomes new collaborators and sources of funding. If you have questions or would like to contribute, please contact Corteva’s Ag Equity Initiative Lead, Dr. Todd Jones.

References:

¹ Che, P., Zhao, Z., Glassman, K., Dolde, D., Hu, T. X., Jones, T. J., Gruis, D. F., Obukosia, S., Wambugu, F., and Albertsen, M. C. (2016). Elevated vitamin E content improves all-trans β-carotene accumulation and stability in biofortified sorghum. PNAS, 113 (39) 11040-11045. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1605689113