This Rice is Nice!

Precautionary Principle or not, I think it's a grave mistake for Greenpeace to have helped finance a court action to block the growing of 'Golden Rice' in the Philippines. 'Golden Rice' is a genetically modified (GM) crop, with a gene that produces carotene in the grains. Carotene is a basic building block for Vitamin A. Many people, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, suffer from Vitamin A deficiency ('Beri-beri'). Beri-beri kills tens of thousands of children each year. This crop's planting was being encouraged by the non-profit Golden Rice Humanitarian Board (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/25/greenpeace-blocks-planting-of-lifesaving-golden-rice-philippines). The Philippine judge ruled that Golden Rice has 'not been shown to be safe'. Neither, of course, was 'normal' rice or particular strains of this grain. We have assumed they are safe, because people have eaten them for generations. A Greenpeace official suggested that folk, who are at risk of Vitamin A deficiency, could get their carotene by consuming other crops. That, of course, depends on growing them, people having the finance to purchase these items and children wanting to eat them (I hate carrots). Rice is a staple food in many parts of the world. Is there any suggestion that, eating a meal combining rice and carrots, will less safe than eating the items separately? The Golden Rice Humanitarian Board are worried the Philippine ruling will discourage the crop's introduction to other countries, such as India. We are also going to need the help of GM crops to deal with some of the consequences of climate change. The days of blanket (almost religious?) antipathy to GM must surely be over.