Biofortified and Climate-Smart Wheat: A Biodiversity-Based Approach to Global Nutrition Challenges

Agricultural biodiversity is central to building resilient and sustainable food systems capable of addressing the interconnected challenges of malnutrition, climate instability, soil degradation, and declining ecosystem health. In regions like South Asia, where micronutrient deficiencies, water scarcity, and climate-induced stress are widespread, the diversification of wheat genetic resources presents a timely opportunity. This work highlights how wheat biodiversity, encompassing local landraces, elite cultivars, and wild relatives, can be strategically mobilized to advance biofortification, enhance nutrient-use efficiency, and strengthen ecosystem resilience.

Our ongoing research evaluates a wide range of wheat germplasm, including local Pakistani varieties, enriched biofortified lines, and wild relatives. These diverse genetic resources are assessed for their capacity to enhance zinc and iron density, improve nutrient-use efficiency, and withstand increasing heat, drought, and soil nutrient limitations. By integrating multi-environment field trials, advanced nutrient profiling, soil–plant interaction studies, and physiological assessments, we demonstrate how expanding the genetic base of wheat contributes simultaneously to human health and environmental sustainability.

Introducing mineral-efficient and climate-resilient wheat lines into farming systems reduces fertilizer dependence, minimizes nutrient runoff, and supports soil biological activity—yielding co-benefits for water conservation, soil health, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The use of wild relatives, in particular, provides access to alleles for stress tolerance, micronutrient enhancement, disease resistance, and improved root system architecture—traits essential for climate adaptation and nutritional resilience.

Farmer-participatory trials, training workshops, and community engagement further illuminate the social and behavioral dimensions of biodiversity-driven innovation. These efforts show that integrating local germplasm, wild species, and improved biofortified varieties into breeding pipelines can enhance farmer acceptance, diversify diets, and stabilize yields under unpredictable environmental conditions. Such transdisciplinary approaches align with the principles of One Health, Planetary Health, and agroecology, where biodiversity is leveraged to deliver integrated benefits across food, health, water, and climate systems.

This contribution demonstrates that mobilizing wheat biodiversity—from wild species to improved biofortified cultivars—offers a robust, nature-based pathway to healthier, climate-resilient, and nutrition-sensitive food systems. It presents an evidence-based model for using agrobiodiversity to navigate global transitions toward sustainable agriculture and enhanced human well-being.