ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH

JULY 18, 2026 07:13

Global concerns have centered on climate change hindering crop production needed to sustain humanity. Yet scant focus has fallen on hidden hunger, where abundant carbohydrate intake may fuel obesity while essential vitamins and minerals remain scarce.

Climate shifts accelerate losses of key nutrients in foods, according to 15 top researchers across four continents, among them Prof. Asaph Aharoni from the Weizmann Institute of Science plant and environmental sciences department in Rehovot.

"This represents no far-off health concern," he shared with The Jerusalem Post. "Today, as many as two-thirds of the global population fails to obtain sufficient micronutrients such as folic acid, vitamin B2, calcium, iron, and iodine, fostering hidden hunger," he noted.

Separately, over 700 million individuals endure outright hunger, short on calories for basic needs. To tackle this escalating worldwide challenge, the experts issued a pressing appeal to boost nutritional value across the food supply.

Aharoni joined an effort headed by Prof. Dominique Van Der Straeten from Ghent University in Belgium and Prof. Alisdair Fernie from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany.

Their detailed review appeared in Nature as "Genetic technologies to enhance crop nutritional value under climate change," outlining steps to safeguard and elevate crop nutrition amid shifting climates.

They promoted cutting-edge genetic tools, notably CRISPR gene editing, to raise vitamin and mineral levels in crops and heighten resilience to climate variations.

CRISPR-Cas enables precise genome edits and stands as a major advance in breeding already embraced by numerous nations.

The group examined CRISPR-Cas methods for biofortification to lift micronutrient levels enough to ease dietary shortfalls in vitamins and minerals.

With limited time to reach zero hunger, they urged combining CRISPR-Cas with metabolic engineering via transformation and related methods.

They also explored unused resources outside standard metabolic routes and existing CRISPR-Cas methods to address a leading societal concern of the century.

Agriculturally, they identified three simultaneous goals for zero hunger: better yields, greater vitamin and mineral density for daily needs, and stronger climate resilience.

The Green Revolution boosted calorie output but deepened hidden hunger by favoring yields over nutrition. Climate stresses have cut densities of several micronutrients.

Aharoni earned early degrees at the Hebrew University agriculture faculty in Rehovot and his doctorate at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, known for excellence in agricultural sciences and sustainable systems.

He has founded eight agricultural startups.

Who this will affect

The work arrives at a key moment, Aharoni observed, as the European Union recently endorsed fresh rules for gene-edited crops under New Genomic Techniques. This shifts away from older GMO restrictions.

The rules split gene-edited plants into categories, easing approvals for targeted edits that might arise naturally.

Category one covers plants with minor edits possible via standard breeding or mutation. These escape strict GMO oversight and, once checked, count as conventional crops without special labels.

Category two retains complex modifications under existing GMO rules and reviews. Updates aim to aid farmers facing climate change and cut pesticide use through resistant varieties.

"Vitamins and minerals can be boosted via CRISPR and genetic engineering or genetic engineering alone," Aharoni explained. "Drought stands as the chief climate factor lowering nutrient levels, though elevated carbon dioxide and heat also contribute. Without recommended steps, hidden hunger will spread widely."

Impacts will hit poor nations hardest. Children short on vitamin A, pregnant women lacking folic acid, and groups deficient in vitamin D, better sourced from food than supplements, face risks, he added.

Aharoni estimated that nutritionally enhanced European crops, once approved, might reach Israel via imports or local growth and appear in stores within three to five years.

With unlimited resources, he would prioritize genetic engineering for all vitamins.

"We hold many concepts, yet global sentiment toward Israel complicates grants and collaborations," he remarked. "EU sanctions apply, and groups in places like Belgium or Spain often exclude us."

Many remain unconvinced that climate change harms crop growth and nutrition. "More funding is essential to convince them," Aharoni said. "Awareness must rise."

The Environment and Climate Change portal is produced in cooperation with the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The Jerusalem Post maintains all editorial decisions related to the content.