Award details

Biofortification with Zinc and Iron for Eliminating Deficiency in Pakistan (BiZIFED2)

Reference	BB/S013989/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Nicola Lowe
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Elizabeth Louise Ander, Dr Elizabeth Helen Bailey, Professor Martin Roger Broadley, Dr Rukhsana Farooqi, Dr Sadia Fatima, Dr Edward Joy, Dr Muhammad Khan, Professor Richard Lark, Dr Usman Mahboob, Dr Victoria Moran, Dr Heather Ohly, Professor Paul Sharp, Dr Jonathan Sinclair, Dr Scott Young, Professor Mukhtiar Zaman
Institution	University of Central Lancashire
Department	Sch of Sport and Health Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,676,210
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/04/2019
End date	31/03/2022
Duration	36 months

Abstract

The overall aim of BiZiFED2 is to investigate the potential of biofortification as a strategy to reduce zinc and iron deficiencies in Pakistan. Three main objectives, corresponding to three Work Packages (WPs) are summarised below: Obj. 1. To determine the potential for biofortified wheat to improve zinc and iron status among adolescent girls and children, living in a low resource community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK) Province, Pakistan. Obj. 2. To quantify spatial variation in grain and soil zinc status across Punjab Province, Pakistan, to enable ex-ante evaluations of farmer crop and soil management options to improve grain quality. Obj. 3. To improve understanding of the socio-cultural factors and market systems that affect the sustainable uptake of biofortified wheat in Pakistan. WP1: A trial effectiveness study (double-blind, randomised controlled trial) will be conducted to assess the impact of consuming biofortified flour on zinc and iron status among 500 adolescent girls (aged 10-16 years) and 500 children (aged 1-5 years) in a low-resource community in NW Pakistan. WP2: Spatial variation in wheat grain and soil zinc status will be mapped using data across Punjab Province, where 80% of Pakistan's wheat is grown. Geospatial modelling will be used to predict which soil properties and farm management practices would lead to optimal zinc concentrations in the wheat grain, and determine cost-benefit (and uncertainties) at provincial, district and farm scales. WP3: Mixed methods will be used to explore the views and perspectives of farmers (wheat producers) and community members (flour consumers) to understand what factors influence their decisions around adoption of biofortified wheat. The wheat market system in Pakistan will be mapped through consultations with a range of stakeholders to develop and pilot interventions to promote the sustainable production and consumption of biofortified wheat.

Summary

Zinc and iron deficiencies are a global public health problem, with the greatest burden occurring in low and middle-income countries. In Pakistan, over 40% of women are zinc deficient and over 20% have iron deficiency anaemia. These micronutrient deficiencies have negative consequences for maternal and child health, and it is imperative that sustainable and cost-effective solutions are found. The project will investigate the potential of biofortification to reduce zinc and iron deficiencies in Pakistan. Biofortification is a process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through conventional plant breeding techniques and addition of nutrient-rich fertilisers. HarvestPlus has developed a variety of wheat with significantly greater zinc and iron concentrations, compared to standard varieties. Wheat is the staple crop in Pakistan and most families consume chapatis (made from wheat flour) with every meal. Therefore, we believe that biofortified flour may benefit communities who cannot afford to consume a diverse range of foods. The project has three main components, to be delivered over two years. The first component is a randomised controlled trial effectiveness study, to assess the impact of consuming biofortified flour on zinc and iron status. The participants will be 500 adolescent girls (aged 10-16 years) and 500 children (aged 1-5 years) living in a low-resource community in North West Pakistan. In phase 1 (months 1-6), the participants and their families will consume their usual locally purchased flour. The cost of the flour will be reimbursed as an incentive to participate in the study. In phase 2 (months 7-12), they will consume either biofortified flour (intervention group) or standard flour (control group), both of which will be grown locally. The participants will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control group and they will not know which flour they are consuming (nor will the research team). A range of biochemical measureswill be taken to assess the impact of consuming biofortified flour on zinc and iron status. We will also record the incidence of diarrhoea and upper respiratory tract infections (in children), which are known to be associated with zinc deficiency. The second component focuses on understanding wheat growing conditions in Pakistan, and supporting farmers to improve the yield and grain quality of biofortified wheat. Variations in soil fertility and grain quality will be mapped across Punjab Province, where 80% of Pakistan's wheat is grown. Computer modelling techniques will be used to predict which soil properties (e.g. soil organic matter, fertility) and management options would lead to optimal zinc concentrations in the wheat grain. Cost-benefit analyses will be conducted for different scenarios, such as standard vs. biofortified wheat, addition of zinc fertilisers, improved soil organic inputs etc. The third component focuses on promoting the sustainable production and consumption of biofortified wheat in Pakistan. Mixed methods will be used to explore the views and perspectives of farmers (wheat producers) and community members (wheat flour consumers) to understand what factors influence their decisions to adopt biofortified wheat or not. Participants will be recruited from marginalised communities, who often have the poorest diets and may not access other types of nutrition interventions such as centralised flour fortification. The wheat market system in Pakistan will be mapped through consultations with a range of stakeholders. This information will be used to develop and pilot interventions to promote the sustainable production and consumption of biofortified wheat. As well as intensive communication activities with farmers and consumer, findings will be disseminated to researchers, policy makers, donors, world-wide, through a comprehensive Pathways-to-Impact activities.

Impact Summary

Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of zinc and iron deficiencies in Pakistan by delivering evidence on: (1) the effectiveness of a new variety of biofortified wheat to increase individual zinc and iron status; (2) optimal strategies for crop and soil management to optimise wheat grain quality; (3) sustainable production and consumption of biofortified wheat in Pakistan. The interdisciplinary nature of this research means that the results will be relevant to a very broad community, with whom we will interact. The team already has a diverse involvement in a range of professional and informal networks, also with policy/donor groups, and with academic networks at national and international level. The team is therefore credible to engage with effective knowledge exchange across a wide range of scales and across subject disciplines. Communities in Pakistan where zinc and iron deficiencies are prevalent will benefit from this research. The project will provide data that will contribute to the evidence base for the potential impact of biofortification of a staple crop to alleviate zinc and iron deficiencies among the poorest communities. An integral part of this research is dialogue with community members, leaders and farmers regarding their views about biofortification. The outcomes of this study will be disseminated to communities via culturally appropriate mechanisms, such as committees of village elders (Jirga). Industrial partners will benefit from this project through the opportunity to promote a range of crop and soil management options, during engagement with farmers involved in soil and crop sampling activities and dissemination of seed. Such activities can help to inform product development and marketing. As zinc and iron deficiencies are common in low and middle-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the findings of the research will be applicable more widely to other countries on the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Listof ODA Recipients. Team members with on-going activities in these areas will ensure these linkages are followed for greatest impact. Policy makers and non-profit organisations engaged in finding sustainable solutions to micronutrient deficiencies will benefit from the data and knowledge generated during this research, in particular, they will be informed by ex ante evaluations of farmer management options in terms of adoption of new crop varieties and soil management options. Researchers within the team delivering this project will benefit from this research through training and capacity strengthening. Knowledge exchange between researchers from the Pakistan and UK teams will be encouraged and facilitated.

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	GCRF - Food and Nutrition for Health in the Developing World [2018]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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