POTENTIAL STATES IN MEXICO FOR PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF BEANS BIOFORTIFIED WITH IRON AND ZINC

Worldwide, one in three people suffers from at least one form of malnutrition such as under-nutrition, overweight or obesity. In Mexico, despite public health interventions to increase the intake of micronutrients such as zinc, chronic malnutrition still represents 13.6 %, while 23.3 % suffer from anemia, caused mainly by iron deficiency. Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) is the second most produced and consumed crop after maize (Zea mays L.), with an average annual per capita intake of 10 kg. Biofortification could contribute to reduce malnutrition in rural and marginal areas by increasing the intake of micronutrients without modifying consumption patterns. The objective of this study was to prioritize the states of the country for intervention with beans biofortified with iron and zinc, according to their greatest potential impact, through the Prioritization Index for Biofortification and biofortification conditions, based on production, consumption and micronutrient deficiency. Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Veracruz, Campeche and Tabasco should be prioritized for intervention with biofortified black beans, while Baja California Sur and Sonora for biofortified pinto beans; Guanajuato and Tlaxcala are priorities for biofortified light beans.