Biofortified orange-fleshed sweet potato
Batata de pulpa naranja biofortificada
- Date
- 1997-2009 · confidence medium
- Place
- Zambezia, Mozambique
- Credited to
- International Potato Center, Maria Andrade and Robert Mwanga
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
Orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties, rich in beta-carotene, were spread in Mozambique and Uganda alongside educational campaigns to reduce vitamin A deficiency. It was the first large conventional biofortification programme for an African staple crop.
The 'Reaching End Users' programme began in 1997 in Mozambique; the release date of the first varieties varies by country. The place is a marker for the province where the project started.
What it led to
- less vitamin A deficiency in children of eastern and southern Africa
- a model of biofortification through conventional breeding (HarvestPlus)
- the 2016 World Food Prize for Andrade, Mwanga, Low and Bouis