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News & Views: A GMO That Can Save Millions
Posted on February 12, 2014 by Stephanie Tammen | Categories: MD Lesson1-2, MD Unit1, Metabolic Disease, News | | Add comment |

There is plenty of controversy surrounding the safety and usefulness of food additives and GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms. Golden Rice – the rice that is genetically manipulated to contain a precursor to vitamin A – is no exception. Proponents of the GM crop say that bringing Golden Rice to underdeveloped countries can provided a means to prevent blindness and death caused by vitamin A deficiency. Plus Golden Rice is a sustainable intervention, as it can be grown in the countries in need by local farmers. On the other hand, opponents argue that introducing a GM crop is a risky endeavor, as the GM seeds may cross pollinate with “normal” strains of rice, resulting in a local extinction of non-GM rice species. You can read about some of the latest problems the Golden Rice industry has faced in this New York Times article.

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