Another brilliant GMO breakthrough: "bio-fortified" rice [View all]

[ConservativeDemocrat]

A biofortified rice high in iron and zinc is set to combat hidden hunger in developing countries

Rice is the staple food for billions of people throughout the developing world. But beyond easing hunger pains and providing carbohydrates for energy, it has little nutritional value. It means many people who depend on rice as a staple food are effectively being starved of essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc and pro-vitamin A.

Nutritionists call it "hidden hunger."

The World Health Organisation estimates two billion people, or 30 per cent of the world's population, are anaemic, in many cases due to iron deficiency. This condition leaves people weak and lethargic and poses a significant and even fatal health risk to pregnant women and their children. Equal numbers are at risk of zinc deficiency with severe health consequences including stunted growth and impaired immune function.

But researchers are now on the cusp of making a real difference. University of Melbourne plant geneticist Dr Alex Johnson and colleagues have created a genetically modified (GM) rice that produces grain with significantly more iron and zinc through a process called biofortification. And field trials have now shown that the biofortified rice is just as high yielding as conventionally bred rices.

This is tremendous news. In addition to the health issues already mentioned, nutritional starvation has been linked to declines in intellect and increases in violence. This, like the breakthroughs in GMO rice in the 1970s, will save ten times as many lives as all the wars being waged combined.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community