Agronomic biofortification from a stakeholder's viewpoint: evidence from studies on iodine‐enriched foods in Uganda

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of two case studies that examine stakeholder reactions toward iodine biofortification in Uganda. The first case applies the protection motivation theory and evaluates the intention of school heads and parents of school‐aged children to include iodine‐biofortified legumes in school feeding programs. The second case study takes a broader scope of stakeholder groups and applies the analytical hierarchy process, a multicriteria decision‐making tool, to understand the stakeholders' evaluation of the relative importance of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) factors in implementing agronomic iodine biofortification in Uganda. Results from the two cases demonstrate that stakeholders are generally optimistic about the iodine biofortification strategy to improve iodine intake and address the prevalent iodine deficiency disorders. Both cases provide insights into key factors that need to be considered in implementing iodine biofortification technology in a developing country.