HarvestPlus unveils first national Biofortification recipe book in Nigeria

From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

In a bid to provide nutritious and tasty ways for families to incorporate nutrient-enriched crops into their daily meals, An agro firm, HarvestPlus has launched the first national biofortification recipe book to help bring more nutrition to the plates of families across Nigeria.

The book offers over 50 recipes using vitamin A cassava, vitamin A maize, and vitamin A orange sweet potatoes as the main ingredients. The recipes have been developed to meet the daily nutrition needs of all family members and to provide a diverse menu using biofortified crops, aiming to improve nutrient intake and reduce malnutrition.

Speaking at the ceremony, the honorable minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Mamood, said this book will guide cooks under the National homegrown school feeding program of the Federal Government.

According to him, “This recipe book will in no doubt serve as an instructional tool for intending and existing food manufacturers, caterers, food distributors, Extension Agents, and other relevant stakeholders in the food industry.

Mamood, who was represented by the Director of the tree crop, Ukatha Bernard said this book will also serve as a pedestal for job and wealth creation for our teeming youths.

‘It is my believe that this book “Biofortified Crops on my Table” will be used alongside other nutrition education resource books authorized by FMARD and other development partners to train farm families on different recipe combinations and health benefits of good eating.

“The benefiting children within the range of this intervention will have more access to biofortified foods being given to them under this program.

“I, therefore, request that this book be made available to all stakeholders to reach a wider range of household beneficiaries for maximum impact. I, therefore, launch it for the benefit of Nigerians and humanity.

He, however, commended HarvestPlus and other development partners in their commercialization efforts of the Biofortified Crops Programme, as a tool to address the micronutrient needs of Nigerians most importantly the vulnerable households.

The Country Manager HarvestPlus Nigeria, Dr. Yusuf Dollah said Biofortification is a system, approach to complement existing nutrition initiatives using the distinctive crops that would grow a consume to address some of the nutrition challenges we have.

In his word,” Our strategy has been the value chain approach and this recipes book is a way to address some of the constraints we have along the chains or the links of the value chain, increasing utilization of the crops looking at household utilization and industrial.

“Each recipe you find in this book represents an enterprise so that anybody that goes into the food business can have access to this recipes book. Is a free book, as from today, you can start downloading from the internet for free and for your use.

Also, HarvestPlus Chief Nutritionist, Erick Boy said “This recipe book is a testament to the power of food to nourish and heal, and we hope it will inspire people to incorporate nutritious biofortified crops into their diets and improve their health and well-being.”

Meanwhile, the book features a collection of practical and traditional dishes that have been cleverly adapted to provide added nutrition and fight malnutrition through biofortified foods.