Peru: Peruvian scientist has been recognized worldwide for her innovative creation of biofortified potatoes, intended to combat anemia.

Scientist Gabriela Burgos has been recognized by the World Food Prize Foundation as one of the Leading Agri-Food Pioneers 2026, thanks to her innovative work in developing biofortified potatoes and sweet potatoes to combat anemia and other forms of malnutrition.

As part of the team at the International Potato Center (CIP), where she has spent over twenty years promoting staple crops to improve nutrition, Burgos will receive this recognition in October. She will thus join a select group of innovators recognized for offering transformative solutions to global food security challenges.

His research highlights a pioneering study on the nutritional qualities of potatoes. According to the Andina News Agency, Burgos has succeeded in transforming potatoes and sweet potatoes into essential tools against hidden hunger, focusing on increasing the concentration and bioavailability of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and provitamin A in staple crops that are part of the daily diet of millions of people. 

Among her achievements, she led the development and validation of biofortified potatoes to combat anemia and directed the first human studies demonstrating the high bioavailability of iron in this tuber. These varieties can provide up to half the iron needed by women living in regions with high potato consumption.

Currently, the scientist is leading initiatives to incorporate these biofortified potatoes into the diets of women and children in the central highlands of Peru, where anemia remains a critical public health problem. The Agency highlights that this solution is practical due to the widespread acceptance of the crop among the local population. Simply by replacing conventional varieties with these new ones, new opportunities can be opened to improve the health and nutrition of thousands of families in the country.