Biofortification of Edible Plants

This chapter provides a general overview of the different approaches and opportunities for the biofortification of edible plants to achieve the goal of improving human diet and setting the stage for the eradication or alleviation of malnutrition through sustainable agriculture. To alleviate nutritional issues and nutrient deficiencies, biofortification of edible plants is considered the most appropriate approach. By contrast, biofortification focuses onimproving the nutritional content of region's current agricultural biodiversity, preserving its habits and customs. However, recent development in omics, particularly metabolomics and related techniques, is significantly contributing to deciphering the potential alterations in plants caused by biofortification. Vitamins and micronutrients biofortification of crops through breeding has been considered for decades. This strategy is based on two different approaches: explore the genetic diversity of the existing species by identifying the parental genotypes potentially interesting for crosses and identify the existing varieties or germplasms.