Ghent University review highlights the need for crops that deliver higher yields, better nutrition and stronger climate resilience.
Climate change is not only affecting how much food farmers can produce. It is also changing how nutritious that food is.
In a review published in Nature, researchers from Ghent University and international partners examine how genetic technologies can help develop crops that are both more nutritious and better able to withstand climate-related stress.
The review builds on years of Ghent University research into improving the nutritional quality of food crops and highlights the growing need to address nutrition, yield and climate resilience together.
Calories Are Not Enough
More than two billion people worldwide do not get enough essential vitamins and minerals. This condition, often called hidden hunger, occurs when people consume enough calories but still lack the nutrients needed for healthy growth and development.
For many people, staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, potatoes and cassava form the foundation of daily diets. These crops provide energy, but they often contain too few vitamins and minerals to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
Researchers warn that climate change is adding another challenge by reducing the nutritional value of several major food crops, according to a press release.
Building More Resilient Crops
In the review, Professor Dominique Van Der Straeten of Ghent University and international experts explore how science can support the development of crops that are richer in essential nutrients and more resilient to drought, heat, salinity and other climate-related pressures.
Emeritus Professor Marc Van Montagu, a pioneer in plant biotechnology, is also a co-author of the study.
The researchers argue that future agriculture must meet three goals at once: produce enough food, improve nutritional quality and strengthen crop resilience in a changing climate.
“Future crops must combine higher yields with better nutritional quality and greater resilience to drought, heat and other consequences of climate change,” says Professor Dominique Van Der Straeten.
Combining Breeding and Biotechnology
The review discusses how new genetic technologies, including CRISPR-based genome editing, could help increase vitamin and mineral levels in crops. These tools allow researchers to make precise changes to plant traits linked to nutritional quality and stress tolerance.
However, the authors stress that no single technology will solve the problem. Conventional breeding, biotechnology and genome editing will all have important roles to play.
They say the strongest results will come from combining different scientific approaches and adapting them to specific crops, regions and growing conditions.
A Broader View of Food Security
The publication highlights an often-overlooked part of food security: nutrition. As climate change intensifies and the global population grows, ensuring that crops provide enough calories will not be enough.
The researchers say future crop improvement must also focus on delivering the vitamins and minerals people need for long-term health.
