Micronutrient Malnutrition: Causes, Prevalence, Consequences and Interventions.

Billions of people in developing countries suffer from an insidious form of hunger known as micronutrient malnutrition. Even mild levels of mineral and vitamin deficiencies may damage cognitive development, lower disease resistance in children,and reduce the likelihood that mothers survive childbirth. The costs of these deficiencies in terms of lives lost and poor quality of life are staggering.
The primary underlying cause of micronutrient malnutrition is poor quality diets, characterized by high intakes of food staples, but low consumption of animal and fish products, fruits, lentils, and vegetables, which are rich sources of bioavailable minerals and vitamins. As such, most of the malnourished are those who cannot afford to purchase high-quality, micronutrient-rich foods or who cannot grow these foods themselves.
Agricultural research and agricultural policy needs to be brought to bear to improve nutrition. In the past, the nutrition community for the most part has ignored food-based interventions as a means to reduce malnutrition. The agricultural community has regarded farming primarily as a means to provide employment and improve the incomes, and has similarly given low priority to the essential role of agriculture as the primary supplier of vitamins, minerals, and
other life-sustaining compounds.