Monsanto Company today welcomes the launch of HarvestPlus, a new program under the World Bank Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research Centers, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and International Center for Tropical Agricultural Research (CIAT) to address malnutrition in the developing world by improving the micronutrient content of the world's major crops.

Micronutrient deficiencies, especially those of vitamin A, iron and zinc, remain a large problem for several populations, particularly women of childbearing age and young children.

Monsanto has donated critical information to aid in the development of one of HarvestPlus' newly announced projects, a nutritionally improved African variety of maize with increased levels of provitamin A. Provitamin A, or beta-carotene, is derived from plant sources and converted into vitamin A by the body. Maize is the primary crop in many African countries where vitamin A deficiency is prevalent.

"Agricultural biotechnology has the potential to help address malnutrition in Africa and other developing countries when used with traditional plant breeding to produce staple crops with higher levels of important nutrients," said Monsanto President and Chief Executive Officer Hugh Grant.

"We are hopeful that the technology Monsanto is sharing will help researchers successfully develop an enhanced provitamin A maize, which would provide another tool to help alleviate vitamin A deficiency," Grant said. He noted that vitamin A deficiency is one of the most preventable causes of blindness.

HarvestPlus is investigating a variety of approaches to nutritionally enhance the content of maize, wheat, rice, sweetpotato, cassava and common beans, including conventional breeding and plant biotechnology. In addition to provitamin A enhancement, researchers are also examining ways to boost the iron and zinc content of these crops, which could further increase their nutritional value.

A major component of the project will focus on training scientists from Africa on plant science, biotechnology, and nutrition, thereby building local expertise in these areas. The development and introduction of the enhanced maize will be preceded by safety testing, efficacy studies, education, and analysis of delivery systems.

Monsanto is one of several institutions from Africa, Europe and the United States involved in this HarvestPlus project for maize, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The goal of the project is to develop new maize varieties, through breeding and plant biotechnology, with high levels of beta-carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids. Other participants include Iowa State University, University of Illinois, Wageningen University (The Netherlands), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (Mexico), and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (Nigeria).

"This project is being planned and implemented by the best efforts and resources of public, private, governmental and international partners, with unique experiences in science, agriculture, nutrition and developing countries," said Rob Horsch, Vice President of Technology Cooperation at Monsanto.

"Project coordinators will work closely with existing vitamin A relief and other nutritional improvement efforts in order to provide the most comprehensive solutions possible to these problems," Horsch said.

Monsanto's sharing of its technology with HarvestPlus reflects the Monsanto Pledge and its commitment to sharing of knowledge and technology with public institutions to benefit people and the environment, particularly in the developing world.

Monsanto shares: fundamental scientific data; technology, including genes and traits; know-how to move technology into crops important for food security; advice on environmental stewardship; information on food safety; and licenses to patented technologies. This information helps to develop crops that can produce more food, reduce the need for pesticide applications, and improve people's health around the world.

Some of the more notable sharing projects Monsanto has participated in include: providing broad access to a working draft of the rice genome and participating in work to develop the virus-resistant sweet potatoes in Africa and papayas in South East Asia. In addition, the Monsanto Fund is supporting the St. Louis-based Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's efforts to develop a virus-resistant cassava, a staple crop in Africa.

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.

HarvestPlus is a 10-year effort to biofortify staple food crops and disseminate them to the poor as one means to fight malnutrition. HarvestPlus will be undertaken by an interdisciplinary global alliance of research and implementing institutions from agriculture, human nutrition, social sciences and other disciplines in developed and developing countries. The alliance is coordinated by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). HarvestPlus is an initiative of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The Nutrition Co-ordinator will be stationed in the Division of Human Nutrition of Wageningen University.