Kinshasa — In a significant stride towards combating malnutrition, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has initiated the development of national standards for biofortified crops. On April 9, 2025, Secretary General for Industry, Jean-Parfait Ntabala Murhandikire, officially launched this initiative at the General Secretariat for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Kinshasa. HarvestPlus is collaborating with the National Standardization Committee (CNN) to integrate the adoption of these standards into the official program of the government. HarvestPlus has been instrumental in establishing international standards for nutrient-enriched grains, working with the British Standards Institution to develop Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) for zinc, iron, and vitamin A-enriched grains.

The effort is part of the World Bank-funded Multi-sectoral Nutrition and Health Project (PMNS) and is coordinated by the CNN.​

The technical commission established for this purpose comprises stakeholders from the agriculture and nutrition sectors. The mission is to draft standards for the following biofortified crops:​

• Zinc maize and rice​
• Iron beans
• Vitamin A maize, sweet potato, and cassava. ​

These crops are vital in addressing micronutrient deficiencies prevalent in the DRC, where, according to the World Health Organization, 61per cent of children under five suffer from vitamin A deficiency. Similarly, iron deficiency contributes to anemia in 65 percent of children under five, 46 percent of pregnant women, and 42 per cent of non-pregnant women of childbearing age.​

In his opening speech, Secretary General Ntabala emphasized the importance of biofortification as a strategy to improve the nutritional quality of diets and combat micronutrient deficiencies. He acknowledged HarvestPlus’ contributions in addressing malnutrition and affirmed the CNN’s commitment to fully embrace this project for the benefit of the Congolese population.​

On April 11, 2025, the committee finalized the first national standards on biofortified crops. Their forthcoming publication in the official gazette marks a key milestone in the DRC’s efforts to strengthen food security and public health.

HarvestPlus remains committed to supporting the DRC in this endeavor, providing technical assistance and expertise to ensure the successful implementation of biofortified crop standards. This initiative aligns with HarvestPlus’ broader mission to improve nutrition and health outcomes through biofortification technology globally.