**5. Conclusions**

The *lpa* or "low-phytate" seed trait can provide numerous potential benefits to the nutritional quality of foods and feeds and to the sustainability of agricultural production. These include enhanced phosphorus managemen<sup>t</sup> contributing to enhanced sustainability in non-ruminant (poultry, swine, and fish) production; reduced environmental impact via reduced waste P in non-ruminant production; enhanced "global" bioavailability of minerals (iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium) for both humans and non-ruminant animals; altered distribution of minerals in cereal grains potentially resulting in enhanced mineral contents of milled products; enhancement of animal health, productivity and the quality of animal products; potential enhancement of food and feed protein and starch utilization; development of "low seed total P" crops which also can enhance managemen<sup>t</sup> of P in agricultural production and contribute to its sustainability. Evaluations of this trait by industry, and by advocates of biofortification via breeding for enhanced mineral density, have been too short term and too narrowly focused. Arguments against breeding for the low-phytate trait overstate the negatives such as potentially reduced yields and field performance or possible reductions in phytic acid's health benefits. Progress in breeding or genetically-engineering high-yielding stress-tolerant low-phytate crops continues. While there are widely available and e fficacious alternative approaches to deal with the problems posed by seed-derived dietary phytic acid, such as use of the enzyme phytase as a feed additive, or biofortification breeding, if there were an interest in developing low-phytate crops with good field performance or good seed-quality, it could be accomplished given adequate time and support. Perhaps due to the potential benefits of the low-phytate trait, the challenge of developing high-yielding, stress-tolerant low-phytate crops has become something of a holy grail for crop genetic engineering. Even with a moderate reduction in yield, in light of the numerous benefits of low-phytate types as human foods or animal feeds, should one not grow a nutritionally-enhanced crop variant that perhaps has 5% to 10% less yield than a standard variant but one that is substantially more nutritious? Such crops would be a benefit to human nutrition especially in populations at risk for iron and zinc deficiency, and a benefit to the sustainability of agricultural production.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The author declares no conflict of interest.
