Executive Summary

An estimated three billion people globally cannot afford nutritious diets. Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiency, is one form of malnutrition where people do not get enough vitamins and minerals in their daily diets. People suffering from this hidden hunger may appear healthy but have weakened immune systems that are vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections (such as the novel coronavirus), while children affected by this form of malnutrition often have stunted physical and cognitive outcomes, and hence compromised futures.

Micronutrient deficiencies are especially acute in developing countries among low-income farming families, where the need and potential impact of more nutritious diets is greatest. One tested, proven, and ready-to-scale solution for improving diets is nutrient-enriched staple crops—such as iron beans, zinc wheat, and vitamin A maize (corn)—that are developed using conventional (non-GMO) breeding techniques to deliver higher levels of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. These crops address the needs of vulnerable rural populations, whose diets rely heavily on the staple crops they produce.

Developed not only to be nutritious, but also high-yielding and climate-smart, these new crops improve farming households’ nutrition and food security, as well as resilience to various shocks to production (such as those caused by climate change) and health (such as viruses). By the end of 2021, an estimated 12 million farming households (60 million people) will be growing and eating these nutritionally enriched staple crops across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which are proven to combat micronutrient deficiencies, reduce days with illness, and improve cognitive and physical functioning. In Africa, HarvestPlus can accelerate scale-up for these crops to benefit 18 million households (or 90 million people) by 2022 and capacitate countries across the continent to become self-sufficient in the development and production these crops. HarvestPlus aims to catalyze resources and public, private, and humanitarian partnerships to scale up delivery of these nutrient-enriched crops to benefit 1 billion people globally by 2030. Together, we can empower farmers with a solution to help their families and communities to achieve food and nutrition security – sustainably, cost-effectively, and with minimum behavior change.

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Accomplishments

Drawing on decades of experience reaching rural, vulnerable communities and working with local partners, HarvestPlus has taken multiple rapid measures to ensure more than 50 million people—continue to receive the nutrition, health, and livelihood benefits of their biofortified crops. HarvestPlus is facilitating increased production and distribution of biofortified planting materials and foods to communities especially impacted by COVID-19 and ensuring reach to last mile consumers. HarvestPlus built the resilience of communities in rural and semi-urban areas, by maintaining and supporting improved smallholder farming and interlinked value chains. HarvestPlus has adapted and innovated support and facilitation models, including through digital technologies, so that the farmers and value chain actors were able to plant, cultivate, and harvest nutritious crops and sell surplus as needed to safeguard their livelihoods. As a trusted local partner, HarvestPlus also educated rural communities on the benefits of nutrients and healthy diets for better immunity and health. 

COVID-19 Response

HarvestPlus has adapted and innovated our support and facilitation practices so that our beneficiaries remain able to plant, cultivate, and harvest their crops, and sell surplus crop as needed. For example, we are leveraging technologies—such as mobile and digital tools, electronic media, and e-commerce platforms—to facilitate at-distance information sharing and training, and increase efficiencies in transactions along seed and food value chains.

Racial and Ethnic Injustice Response

Since its inception, HarvestPlus has made a concerted effort to ensure that Country Managers, who lead the field offices, are all recruited locally and represent local understanding and practices. HarvestPlus does not impose programs in countries where its programs are implemented, rather, it works closely with national governments, local NGOs, and others to ensure that the programs are aligned within local contexts. At the HQ level, more is being done to ensure that women and minorities are included in the leadership and organizational policies.