Testing Improved Biofortified Maize Seeds and Subsidies

Maize is a staple food in many countries and a significant source of calories for hundreds of millions of people globally. However, conventional maize lacks sufficient amounts of essential micronutrients, including several needed in early childhood development. Nearly half the children in Guatemala suffer from chronic malnutrition and stunting, which can cause cognitive impairment, weakened immunity, and increased risk of developing chronic diseases. To improve health outcomes, Guatemalan organization Semilla Nueva ("new seed" in Spanish) is working to enhance the quality and adoption of biofortified maize, which is bred to contain higher levels of zinc, iron, and protein. Biofortified maize can improve nutrition and health outcomes but faces barriers to adoption from farmers who traditionally use conventional seeds. Additionally, while biofortified maize has been shown to address malnutrition in sub-Saharan African countries, it has yet to be determined whether traditional preparation methods (nixtamalization) widely used in southern Mexico and Central America affect the body's ability to absorb the micronutrients in biofortified maize. Semilla Nueva aims to measure the nutritional absorption of biofortified maize in Guatemala, and identify the most effective, policy-relevant way to bring it to market at scale. Semilla Nueva is partnering with independent researchers to conduct two randomized controlled trials: the first to determine whether the body absorbs sufficient levels of zinc and iron from traditionally prepared biofortified maize and the second to assess how changes to a subsidy program would influence farmer adoption of the improved seeds. Semilla Nueva will use the results of both studies to model the overall impact of biofortified maize on health outcomes in Guatemala, including how it may reduce zinc, iron, and protein deficiencies as more people consume it. Semilla Nueva’s program has achieved initial investments from the Guatemalan government, which has expressed interest in these rigorous evaluations before supporting a national scaling of the program. The rigorous evidence generated by these studies will provide valuable information on the effectiveness of biofortified maize for improving nutrition and on the cost-effectiveness of such subsidies to combat malnutrition in Guatemala and the region.