Jerome McDonald of National Public Radio show Worldview (WBEZ - Chicago) did an interview with James Morris, the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program
(http://www.wfp.org/english/) on 26 July 2006. It can be heard at http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/audio_library/wv_rajuly06.asp. Under Worldview July 26, 2006

Delivering food to malnourished and at risk populations throughout the world is pertinent to the field of nutritional genomics: different individuals, and perhaps different ancestral groups, may require different amounts of nutrients and specifically, micronutrients. Bruce Ames has reviewed biochemical literature of enzymes and their co-factors and found many examples of enzymes with altered Km's (a measure of binding affinity between cofactor and enzymes) due to single nucleotide polymorphisms in their genes. In some cases, increasing the intake of precursors to the cofactors of these variant enzymes may correct the lower binding affinity. If allele frequencies in various ancestral groups warrant, fortify foods with additional nutrients may be warranted.

There were several remarkable comments made during the interview on NPR (30 minute interview) that are pertinent to nutrigenomics.

Over 113 million people were provided food per year at a cost of $3 billion (US)

Many foods distributed throughout regions with food insecurity or crisis are fortified or are blended to increase the nutritional content of amino acids or micronutrients (14 - 15 minutes into the interview)

80% of all agricultural work in Africa is done by women (19 - 20 minutes into interview)

There are 15 million AIDS Orphans (one or both parents dead) and there are 350 million children who are hungry worldwide (20:30 - 22 minutes). Morris states the importance of delivering food to children during critical developmental steps - a topic that has previously been highlighted by this list serve. McMillen and Robinson (2005) Developmental origins of the metabolic syndrome:
Prediction, plasticity, and programming. Physiol. Rev. 85, 571 - 633.

The micronutrient and macronutrient requirements of most populations - and individuals - are currently not known. The importance of delivering the right nutrients is demonstrated quite dramatically in the worldwide epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Defining the appropriate nutrients for various populations may slow the tide of twin economic and health burdens in developing and transitional countries (malnutrition in rural areas and chronic diseases in urban areas).