Maize: The Tool to Eradicate Malnutrition in Colombia

Source of Hope Foundation founder, Stephen Robert, has contributed to improving the lives of those belonging to under-served communities. Through the Foundation, Stephen Robert has supported other charitable organizations in focused on reducing malnutrition.

Malnutrition has been a chronic problem in Colombia. In children, malnutrition is also associated with growth retardation, which exposes them to other risks (i.e. performing poorly in school, limited economic opportunities, and chronic disease). However, world and philanthropic organizations have collaborated to create a tool that could potentially reduce the impact of malnutrition on the entire country. In the last two years, researchers have developed a maize crop that could potentially address one part of the issue, zinc deficiencies.

In 2018, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) developed a zinc-enriched form of maize (BIO-MZN01) that would provide Colombians with this vital mineral. Zinc is an important mineral associated with human development, and the daily requirement is 15mg. However, BIO-MZN01 contains 36 percent more zinc than other strains of maize.

The crop has a number of benefits. For one, the country’s maize-based diet could be supplemented by this crop, such as through arepas, a staple of the Colombian diet. More significantly, the crop can yield twice the amount of maize as the national average of 3.7 tons per hectares. Ultimately, this fortified crop can address gastro-intestinal tract, immune, and respiratory issues, in addition to reducing development problems caused by malnutrition.