13 Nov 2023 — A multi-year research collaboration between several Colombian institutions has resulted in the creation and release of three biofortified coffee bean varieties with high iron and zinc content, tolerance to drought, pests and diseases and a higher yield potential than traditional beans.

The new varieties, BIO103-SGA, BIO105-SGA and BIO109-SGA, are characterized by their bushy growth habit, which allows intercropping with coffee and facilitates a food secure situation for the growers. The cultivars can achieve two metric tons per hectare yields, surpassing the national average. The beans are also highly tolerant to the main diseases and pests. 

A few distinct features of the beans include variations in size, shape and color compared to traditional varieties. They have a boosted nutritional profile, achieving 39% of the daily iron requirement and 41% of the zinc requirement. Colombians will get 1.5 times more minerals than they do from conventional beans. 

Micronutrients for immunity
Iron and zinc are important micronutrients for pregnancy and early childhood development. Iron is essential in producing oxygen-carrying proteins, and zinc protects the immune system against harmful bacteria and viruses.The coffee bean varieties are tolerant to drought, pests and diseases. 

Nutrition statistics from Colombia’s Ministry of Health show that one in four pregnant women aged 13 to 49 suffer from anemia and 50% experience iron deficiency. In addition, one in four children between six months and five years old have low iron levels.

About 34% of indigenous and Afro-descendant children suffer from anemia and 36% of children aged between one and four years lack sufficient zinc. 

The development of these bean varieties was carried out by the National Coffee Research Centre (Cenicafé) of the National Coffee Growers Association (FNC), the Alliance of Bioversity International, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Semillas Guerrero y Asociados.

“Our objective is to foster the development of nutritionally rich and environmentally sustainable food options to enhance their production, distribution and consumption. We are committed to ensuring that farming families gain wider access to these innovative technologies, with a strong emphasis on bolstering their food security and promoting income generation within the framework of sustainable agriculture,” notes Carolina González, lead scientist of the Biofortified Crops Program at the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT.  

Nutrition alternative
The coffee bean varieties underwent extensive cross-breeding followed by evaluation in experimental fields between 2021 and 2023. The assessment verified the beans’ potential for productivity, adaptability to coffee intercropping and a high nutritional quality.BIO109-SGA exhibits high iron and zinc content.

The beans are a nutritional alternative for Colombia’s 548,581 coffee-growing families cultivating the crop across 842,000 hectares.   

“These new varieties represent an excellent alternative to enhance the traditional nutrition of coffee-growing families. Moreover, their high yield potential and adaptability to the specific conditions of coffee-growing areas make them an additional source of income for coffee growers before their first coffee harvest,” says Álvaro Gaitán, scientific director at Cenicafé-FNC.

“For this reason, it is imperative to make advanced, climate-resilient crops with high micronutrient content accessible to the population. The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT are actively developing plant materials or seeds with unique traits related to climate change resilience and nutrition. Their efforts focus on conventional, non-transgenic plant breeding methods.”

Meanwhile, a study correlated consuming two to three cups of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee daily with a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and reduced mortality rates. It also links caffeinated coffee consumption with a reduced risk of developing arrhythmia. 

By Inga de Jong

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