Biofortification - Unsolved Practice Set
Chapter: Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production | Topic: Biofortification
BIOFORTIFICATION - UNSOLVED PRACTICE SET
Topic: Biofortification
Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Biofortification refers to the process of:
- Adding synthetic vitamins to processed food after harvest
- Breeding crops to have higher levels of vitamins, minerals, or improved protein/fat content
- Removing all nutrients from crops
- Using pesticides to protect crops
Q2. The primary goal of biofortification is to help combat:
- Overeating
- Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in the diet
- Crop pest infestations only
- Soil erosion
Q3. Which of the following is an example of a biofortified crop aimed at addressing vitamin/mineral deficiency?
- A crop bred for taller stems only
- A crop variety bred for higher iron and zinc content
- A crop bred purely for faster cooking time
- A crop bred only for colour
Q4. Biofortified crop varieties are developed mainly through:
- Selective breeding and modern breeding techniques
- Random natural mutation with no human intervention
- Adding chemical fertilisers alone
- Simply changing the crop's growing season
Q5. Biofortification is considered especially useful in regions where:
- The population has access to a highly varied and nutrient-rich diet
- Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are common due to limited dietary diversity
- There is no agriculture at all
- Only cash crops are grown
Short Answer Questions
Q6. Define biofortification, in your own words.
Q7. Why is biofortification considered an important strategy for addressing malnutrition, especially in developing countries?
Q8. Give one example of a nutrient that has been specifically targeted through biofortification in certain crop varieties.
Q9. How does biofortification differ from simply adding vitamin supplements to a person's diet?
Long Answer Questions
Q10. Explain the concept of biofortification, describing how plant breeders work to improve the nutritional content of staple food crops.
Q11. Discuss the significance of biofortification in addressing public health issues related to malnutrition, particularly in regions with limited dietary diversity.
APPLICATION / ANALYSIS
Q12. In a rural region where rice is the main staple food and many children show signs of vitamin A deficiency, agricultural scientists introduce a new, vitamin A-enriched rice variety developed through biofortification. Explain how this intervention could help address the nutritional problem in this community.
Q13. A nutritionist compares two approaches to solving iron deficiency in a farming community: distributing iron supplement tablets versus introducing an iron-biofortified staple crop variety for long-term cultivation. Discuss one possible advantage of the biofortified crop approach for a community that primarily relies on subsistence farming.