“Golden Rice” and how science is loosing the battle

Growing up in Southern Alberta I have been fortunate to be surrounded by crops and livestock that feed millions of people all over the world. The benefits of  living in a developed world like Canada is that we also have the luxury of freshly delivered produce and vegetables every day. Every vitamin and mineral my body needs can be obtained by purchasing and eating the foods available to me at our grocery store.

Now I can only imagine not having all of these nutritional resources and being forced to eat a very restricted diet because these fresh fruits and vegetables are not available at the stores. This is a reality for 10 million children under the age of five dieing every year because of common diseases that could be avoided through a better nutrition.

So I ask could you imagine lying and distorting the facts to prevent nutritional enhanced foods from reaching these children every year? This is what those who oppose GM (Genetically Modified) crops are doing and Golden Rice is a perfect example of this trend.

GOLDEN RICE:
Golden Rice is rice that has been genetically engineered to contain beta-carotene and other carotenoids in the endosperm (the edible part of the grain). This gives the grains a golden colour, as opposed to regular white rice, which is practically devoid of carotenoids. When the rice is consumed, some carotenoids are converted in the body into vitamin A.

Carotenoids (including beta-carotene) are natural plant pigments and are widely found in coloured fruits, carrots, and green vegetables. Plants do not contain Vitamin A, but only its precursor, provitamin A (beta-carotene). Animals, including man, synthesise Vitamin A from carotenoids eaten in the diet. Hence, animal meat products contain Vitamin A. People living on a poor diet are at risk of becoming vitamin A deficient, which can lead to life-threatening illnesses. SOURCE
Read more about Golden Rice at non profit Golden Rice Project

It disgusts me to see people living in an elite and privileged society like ours attempt to distort the facts of nutritionally better foods that can save millions of children. These people enjoy the benefits of science in our society but question it when it will help others in a developing country. To deny GM crops that have been tested and proven are ethically and morally wrong.

To quote from the Bad Ecology SOURCE blog these are the top three reasons people argue against GM crops:

1. Superstition (tinkering with Nature, upsetting the woodland spirits): typified by Prince Charles and Zac Goldsmith. These are the most dangerous because stupid people with a lot of money or influence are always dangerous. Because they are so utterly deluded, rational debate is impossible.

2. Vested interest (GM either threatens their income, or is a great money-raising scare): typified by Greenpeace which, logically, should support GM crops for their higher productivity, better energy efficiency and lower environmental impact but an anti-GM stance was a better money-raiser for the (then, in 1996) cash-strapped organisation. Organic farmers also see a threat to their cash cow from a genuinely ‘sustainable’ and ‘chemical-free’ way to farm.

3. Anti-capitalist/globalisation (GM is a way for big corporations to take tighter control over agriculture): this is the only intellectually respectable opposition to genetic improvement of crops. Typified by George Monbiot who, rightly, criticises large seed companies for treating food and food security as just another business instead of recognising its huge practical and symbolic significance.

If you are interested in reading about the scare mongering and bad science just read the Greenpeace propaganda SOURCE it is well produced to scare you about GM crops.