Book Review 19

Review

Title: Rice Biofortification: Lessons for Global Science and Development

ISBN 13: 9781849710992

Published: 2010

Pages: 178

Cost: $118

Rating (1-5): 4

Submitted By: Noaman, Maher Mohammed

Date posted: October 13, 2011

Extraordinary information about rice biofortification

Biofortification – the enrichment of staple food crops with essential nutrients – has been signaled as a uniquely sustainable solution to the problem of micronutrient deficiency or ‘hidden hunger.’ Today, it is argued, poor people worldwide rely on staple crops such as rice, wheat and maize to meet most of their nutritional needs. By breeding or genetically engineering varieties of these crops with higher nutrient levels, the solution to this pressing global problem can be built into the seed itself and reach previously unreachable populations in the remotest areas of the developing world. Rice Biofortification: Lessons for Global Science and Development is written by Sally Brooks who held various roles in international development as a researcher and practitioner. She has a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and is a research officer with the STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability), Sussex, UK. Her research focuses on the social and institutional dynamics of science policy processes in food and agriculture. This book outlines the construction of a case for biofortification as a sustainable, cost-effective public health involvement, not by health institutions, but by members of an international agricultural research community. The book includes five chapters covering up-to-date important topics such as early biofortification pathways linking agriculture, nutrition and health; case of iron rice; case of golden rice; HarvestPlus, one of the programs (Biofortification Challenge Program) selected by the CGIAR; and finally towards interdisciplinary integration. This book provides an important analysis of such goal-oriented, top-down approaches. The author argues that these approaches demonstrate a model of global ‘public goods’ science that is emerging within complex international research networks. It provides fundamental lessons for those researching and making decisions about science and research policy showing that if this model becomes well-established, it is likely to channel resources towards the search for unique solutions, at the expense of more incremental approaches that respond to locality, diversity and the complex and uncertain interaction between people and their environments. The author suggests a series of key changes to institutions and practices that might allow more context-responsive alternatives to emerge. This book could be used as a practical handbook of rice biofortification and good reference for anyone interested in plant nutrition as well. It also gives a wide scope of information on how to assess and manage the nutritional status of crops, especially rice. It should be of great significance to farmers, agricultural advisers, plant nutritionists, and plant scientists in both academic and industrial fields. It is presented in a text format.