Hans-Konrad Biesalski

Prof. Dr. med. Biesalski is head of the Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition as well as Director of the Food Security Center at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. He has over 30 years’ experience in research on retinoids and their actions on cellular growth and differentiation, vitamin A and human health, especially lung diseases. His research activities have concentrated on antioxidants and vitamins in basic and applied research on reactive oxygen species and their role in human nutrition. Followed by research related to food quality as an indicator of adequate and healthy nutrition and micronutrients in human health and disease with special emphasis on vitamin A and iron.

Prof. Biesalski is a member of the Executive Boards and Scientific Advisory Boards of the most important German health societies and academies as well as of the Scientific Advisory Board of the US Pharmacopoeia. He is also a member of different international societies and vitamin consultative groups. He is also Editor of various journals comprising the topics nutrition and metabolism. Further, he has edited seven textbooks related amongst others to nutrition medicine and nutrition physiology and published more than 330 peer-reviewed papers in the most prestigeous scientific journals.

If we define food security from a nutritionists view we are looking for adequate macro- and micronutrient supply through the diet. Depending on the diet diversity the macronutrients deliver fat, carbohydrates and protein in different amounts. Climate and availability of water are the components which limit yield and at least availability of macronutrients. In particular the macronutrient composition in starchy food has been extensively studied under different conditions. However, only few data exist which determine the amount of micronutrients in staple food in particular under different climate and irrigation conditions. Very recently it has been shown that the concentration of vitamins and phenolic compounds was higher in apricots grown und irrigated than under dry faming conditions. Antioxidants e.g. carotenoids, flavonoids and a couple of further compounds are important for human healthy. Especially ß-carotene is important for vitamin A formation. Under dry conditions some plants might synthesize more carotenoids under dry conditions as a defense reaction. To understand the interplay between yield, climate, water or drought stress on micronutrients is important with respect to food security.