Background Agricultural foods—cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and oilseeds—remain primary sources of proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals for global populations. Micronutrient deficiencies (iron, zinc, vitamin A, folate) affect more than two billion people, compromising health and development, particularly in low- and middle-income regions. Conventional approaches often fail to deliver sustainable, affordable improvements in dietary quality.
Objective This review examines how agricultural biofortification increases nutrient density in crops and how microbial fermentation enhances nutrient bioavailability, reduces antinutritional factors, generates bioactive compounds, and improves food safety and functional properties. It evaluates the complementary benefits of integrating these strategies across major agricultural commodities and assesses sustainability implications.
Methods A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and authoritative reports from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar was conducted. Search terms covered biofortification, fermentation, agricultural foods, micronutrient bioavailability, lactic acid bacteria, antinutritional factors, functional foods, and food safety. Inclusion prioritized studies from approximately 2019–2026 directly addressing agricultural commodities, nutrient enhancement, microbial mechanisms, and safety outcomes.
Results Biofortification via agronomic, conventional breeding, molecular, and microbial routes elevates iron, zinc, provitamin A, and other micronutrients in cereals, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi degrades phytate, tannins, and enzyme inhibitors, improves protein digestibility, releases bound minerals and vitamins, and generates organic acids, bioactive peptides, and antioxidants. Combined approaches show synergistic gains in nutrient accessibility and functional quality while supporting pathogen suppression and shelf-life extension. Applications span cereals, pulses, plant proteins, and horticultural products, with potential contributions to circular bioeconomy goals.
Conclusion Integrating biofortification with controlled fermentation offers a science-based pathway to improve nutritional quality, functional properties, and safety of agricultural foods. Standardization of strains and processes, bioavailability assessment, scale-up, regulatory alignment, and consumer acceptance remain essential for broader impact. Advances in omics, precision fermentation, and digital systems can further optimize outcomes within sustainable food systems.