Golden Rice Research Articles

Biosafety and Biosecurity Issues in Biotechnology Research

Biotechnology is broadly defined as the application of scientific and engineering principles to produce valuable substances by deploying biological agents. Here, the biological agents are not only limited to microorganisms but animals and plants are also being used for the purpose. �䀆e substances referred here are renewable materials produced by the biological agents for food, feed, beverages, pharmaceuticals and industrial uses. Today, scientists can isolate any gene of interest from any organism or part thereof and incorporate it into a small self-replicating extrachromosomal genetic element for multiplication as well as expression of the gene. �䀆e recombinant DNA molecule thus produced can be introduced into host cells such as bacteria or yeast to grow large vats or fermenters full of the recombinant organism. �䀆ese have empowered scientists to tailor- make genes and have they expressed in living organism to produce the desirable product (1). Some of the achievements of current biotechnology research include production of life-saving drugs in microorganisms, development of the golden rice and the iron-rich rice, biofertilizers, biopesticides, use of plants and animals as bioreactors for producing enzymes and chemicals for industrial uses, production of biodegradable plastics, biosensors, superbug etc. for tackling some of the environmental problems. �䀆e biotechnological tools and techniques, if properly integrated with other technologies, provide tremendous opportunities for sustainable developments in several areas of human endeavors.

From the concept of totipotency to biofortified cereals.

I was a college teacher when opportunity opened a path into academia. A fascination with totipotency channeled me into research on tissue culture. As I was more interested in contributions to food security than in scientific novelty, I turned my attention to the development of genetic modification technology for cereals. From my cell culture experience, I had reasons not to trust Agrobacterium for that purpose, and I developed direct gene transfer instead. In the early 1990s, I became aware of the problem of micronutrient deficiency, particularly vitamin A deficiency in rice-eating populations. Golden Rice, which contains increased amounts of provitamin A, was probably instrumental for the concept of biofortification to take off. I realized that this rice would remain an academic exercise if product development and product registration were not addressed, and this is what I focused on after my retirement. Although progress is slowly being made, had I known what this pursuit would entail, perhaps I would not have started. Hopefully Golden Rice will reach the needy during my lifetime.

Fear and food security

Fear and food security

Biotechnology: Against the grain.

Golden rice could help to end a nutritional crisis — but only if researchers can overcome some daunting technical and political hurdles.

Willingness to Pay for Golden Rice in India: A Contingent Valuation Method Analysis

We estimated students’ willingness to pay for golden rice by using the double-bounded contingent valuation method. We found that nearly 55% of the students are willing to buy golden rice at the same price as that of conventional rice, and around 85% at a certain discount. The estimated mean willingness to pay is a 4% price premium. Furthermore, we found that global (food security) and personal (health) benefit perceptions have a positive significant influence, and risk perceptions and sociodemographic variables have an insignificant influence on willingness to pay for golden rice. Overall, our findings indicate that India has a potential market for golden rice.

46. Golden Rice – a food fight to enhance the unsustainable monarch of mega-crops

All major cultivated crops contribute to the ‘ecological footprint’ of human activity that robs biodiversity of habitat. However, only about a dozen of the leading crops (here termed ‘mega-crops’) ...

The problem with the farmer’s voice

In this essay we present three biases that make it difficult to represent farmer voices in a meaningful way. These biases are information bias, individual bias, and short-term bias. We illustrate these biases through two case studies. One is the case of Golden Rice in the Philippines and the other is the case of Bt cotton in India.

Informed Consent and Ethical Review in Chinese Human Experimentation: Reflections on the "Golden Rice Event"

Human experimentation (such as in regard to pharmaceutical efficacy, medical equipment, medical technology, and medical methods) aims to promote the continuous development and application of medical technology so as to improve the human condition.1 Human experimentation involves the interplay of rights and obligations among the sponsor, researcher, and research subjects. In this context, the sponsor is the person or organization that initiates, funds, and supervises the human trials, assuming corresponding responsibilities; the researcher is the physician or scientist who conducts the medical tests; and research subjects are the natural persons who participate in the trials.

The politics of Golden Rice

Genetic knowledge applicable to crop improvement has erupted over the past 60 years, and the techniques of introducing genes from one organism to another have enabled new varieties of crops not achievable by previously available methodologies of crop breeding. Research and particularly development of these GMO-crops to a point where they are useful for growers and consumers in most countries is subject to complex national and international rules arising out of the UN's Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, with 167 country signatories. (The USA and Canada are not signatories.) The Protocol was developed based on concerns initially expressed in the 1970's that such technology presented unusual risks to man and the environment. Those ideas have comprehensively and authoritatively been proven to be wrong. The Protocol has nevertheless spawned significant regulatory obstacles to the development of GMO-crop technology at great cost to global society and in conflict with many other UN objectives. The suspicion induced by the Protocol is also widely used, overtly or covertly, for political purposes. These points are illustrated by reference to the not-for-profit Golden Rice project.

Biotechnology and its Impact on Food Security and Safety

A global recession, along with highly increased food prices in many countries in unregenerate manner, have caused some 100 million more people than last year suffering from silent hunger and poverty that would leave the world extremely vulnerable. The global food crisis potentially imposes a serious risk towards world peace and security. The crop production however will have to be dramatically increased to meet the need. The ability of biotechnology to act as a tool to assist in solving the issue is far from being fully exploited. Low crops production is considered to be the main reason for poverty and food insecurity in the world. High percentage of poor and food insecure people are living in developing countries and in rural aereas. Therefore, biotechnology can:1) increase the crops yield through introducing high-yielding varieties resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses; 2) reduce pest– associated losses; and 3) increase the nutritional values of foods which is a very important factor in rural areas or developing countries. Furthermore, in order to reduce or eliminate food insecurity, postharvest approach in wasting less is of a vital strategy to supplement increasing food productivity. Hence, the environmental issues in supplying safe and nutritious foods in a sustainable manner should be taken into account. Biotechnology research and development have already produced significant products on the market, and will further have a pivotal role to play in encouraging and enhancing food production, considering the safety and environmental quality. Although the major concern being the safety and potential impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on human health, the future of biotech crops looks encouraging as the global area of biotech crops continue to increase yearly and commercialization of drought tolerant maize and Golden Rice are expected in 2013/2014. Thus, biotech crops could possibly contribute in accomplishing the 2015 Millennium Development Goal particularly in reducing poverty by half through maximizing crop productivity. Microorganisms play a vital role in sustaining soil health and productivity, in the process of plant biomass conversion to produce both food and fuel, and in the production of novel foods and feeds mainly by fermentation. This review discussed the current trends and future perspectives on how biotechnology and genetic engineering can help us to provide safe and secure food and can act as a valuable tool to reduce poverty.

Key applications of plant metabolic engineering.

Great strides have been made in plant metabolic engineering over the last two decades, with notable success stories including Golden rice. Here, we discuss the field's progress in addressing four long-standing challenges: creating plants that satisfy their own nitrogen requirement, so reducing or eliminating the need for nitrogen fertilizer; enhancing the nutrient content of crop plants; engineering biofuel feed stocks that harbor easy-to-access fermentable saccharides by incorporating self-destructing lignin; and increasing photosynthetic efficiency. We also look to the future at emerging areas of research in this field.

The rejection of science frames in the news coverage of the golden rice experiment in Hunan, China

In this article, we examine the ways in which media frames and rhetorical devices in the Chinese media shaped the representation of the genetically modified (GM) golden rice. We draw on a study of Chinese media representations of an experiment designed to test the efficacy of golden rice as a source of Vitamin A using school children in China’s Hunan province as subjects. The study analysed Chinese web news stories about the Hunan experiment posted between 30 August 2012 (when Greenpeace first reported on the issue) and 30 October 2012. This experiment resulted in allegations of breaches in scientific protocols and created a hostile public reaction. The incident fuelled the long-standing debate about the risks and benefits of GM crops in China. In this article, we analyse 25 online news reports, examining the attitudinal orientation of the articles, the readers’ comments on the articles and GM crops, the writing style and rhetorical devices employed, the emotions provoked and the frames manifest and embedded in these articles and comments. We found that although only one-third of the articles manifested an obviously negative attitude towards golden rice and GM foods, their use of strident metaphors and analogies were designed to arouse readers’ fear and concerns about GM crops. In the anti-golden rice articles, we identified conspiracy frames, including the view that the West was using genetic engineering to establish global control over agriculture and that GM products were instruments for genocide. The pro-golden rice articles emphasised the scientific humanitarian progress, but it appears to be less attractive to the readers.

A review of vitamin A equivalency of β-carotene in various food matrices for human consumption

Vitamin A equivalency of β-carotene (VEB) is defined as the amount of ingested β-carotene in μg that is absorbed and converted into 1 μg retinol (vitamin A) in the human body. The objective of the present review was to discuss the different estimates for VEB in various types of dietary food matrices. Different methods are discussed such as mass balance, dose-response and isotopic labelling. The VEB is currently estimated by the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) as 12:1 in a mixed diet and 2:1 in oil. For humans consuming β-carotene dissolved in oil, a VEB between 2:1 and 4:1 is feasible. A VEB of approximately 4:1 is applicable for biofortified cassava, yellow maize and Golden Rice, which are specially bred for human consumption in developing countries. We propose a range of 9:1-16:1 for VEB in a mixed diet that encompasses the IOM VEB of 12:1 and is realistic for a Western diet under Western conditions. For a 'prudent' (i.e. non-Western) diet including a variety of commonly consumed vegetables, a VEB could range from 9:1 to 28:1 in a mixed diet.

The economic power of the Golden Rice opposition

AbstractVitamin A enriched rice (Golden Rice) is a cost-efficient solution that can substantially reduce health costs. Despite Golden Rice being available since early 2000, this rice has not been introduced in any country. Governments must perceive additional costs that overcompensate the benefits of the technology to explain the delay in approval. We develop a real option model including irreversibility and uncertainty about perceived costs and arrival of new information to explain a delay in approval. The model has been applied to the case of India. Results show the annual perceived costs have to be at least US$199 million per year approximately for the last decade to explain the delay in approval of the technology. This is an indicator of the economic power of the opposition towards Golden Rice resulting in about 1.4 million life years lost over the past decade in India.

La tentative PIPRA (Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture) un « commun » en propriété intellectuelle sur les biotechnologies agricoles ?

Un consortium d’universites et instituts de recherche a but non lucratif, base en Californie, PIPRA, vise a liberer la recherche agricole entravee par la croissance spectaculaire des droits de propriete intellectuelle. Au regard du probleme qu’elle entend resoudre (celui des taillis de brevets dans le secteur des biotechnologies agricoles), de la finalite qu’elle poursuit (faciliter l’acces aux biotechnologies agricoles pour les cultures orphelines de recherche), et des moyens qu’elle imagine mettre en œuvre (former un centre d’echange en propriete intellectuelle et constituer des communautes de brevets), PIPRA se presente tel un « commun ». En depit de quelques realisations, l’initiative n’a toutefois pas remporte le succes escompte et l’on peut s’interroger sur les causes de cette faillite : reposant sur des erreurs d’evaluation, l’entreprise ne pouvait prosperer. Un « pseudo-commun » et/ou un « commun contrarie », PIPRA etait sans doute vouee a l’echec en raison de sa nature meme.

IRRI Young Rice Scientist Conference 2013に参加して

I participated in the IRRI Young Scientists’ Conference (IYSC) held at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) from 14–18 October 2013. The purpose of the IYSC was to provide young scholars/researchers with a chance to present the findings of their research to scientists in the global rice society. This was the second IYSC and held together with the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) Asia Forum 2013. Not only IRRI scientists, but also NARES (national agricultural research and extension systems) partners in Asia and scientists from other CGIAR centers, attended; thus, there was a diverse audience, having participants from the fields of genetic diversity, better varieties, crop and environment, value adding, targeting and policy, and last-mile delivery. I presented a paper entitled, “Contribution of root system development and hydraulic conductivity to shoot biomass under drought stress conditions in rice” in the session of the genetic diversity. I obtained a lot of new knowledge and ideas from many fruitful comments and advice from both expert and young rice scientists at the conference. I also joined a tour of IRRI to observe the huge gene bank and center pivot. I was very much impressed with the ongoing and future researches in IRRI. Several research groups have been collaborating closely to develop tolerant varieties against multiple stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and flooding. I learned that such collaborations are essential to connect the achievements generated from basic research with the development of practical and useful varieties. There were a few presentations that showed the benefits of Golden Rice, which has high vitamin A content. Golden Rice will be released in 2016 in the Philippines. There were many opinions and arguments in the session, but I felt that the scientists are working on Golden Rice with a sincere attitude, taking the public into consideration. I would like to express my heartfelt thank to Dr. Ando Radanielson, one of the organizers of the IYSC for his great support. Thanks are also due to Dr. Tsutomu Ishimaru, JIRCAS seconded scientist to IRRI, for his kind advice on this report. The IYSC provided such a wonderful opportunity for young rice scientists like us and we look forward to the next one.

Appropriate Technology for Golden Rice Farm of Thailand

The research was qualitative approaches. The research design for qualitative research was In-Dept Interview by using Ethnographic research technique with 20 Thai stakeholders composing of local wisdom peoples, community leaders and farmers who live at Chao Praya River in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, the Middle region of Thailand. The content from qualitative research was analyzed to construct the questionnaire for quantitative research. Factor analysis was used for determination the component factors. The objectives of this research were 1) to study methods and expertises of appropriate technology for golden rice farm from stakeholders composing of local wisdom peoples, community leaders and farmers, and 2) to analyze content of methods and expertises of appropriate technology for golden rice farm from stakeholders composing of local wisdom peoples, community leaders and farmers. The Interview results were used to construct items for factor analysis to identify the component of methods and expertises of appropriate technology for golden rice farm from stakeholders composing of local wisdom peoples, community leaders and farmers. There were 6 components were constructed from 50 items. The 6 components were Way of life in the past of farmers, Culture and belief of rice farming, Local wisdom of rice cultivation, Appropriate technology using in rice farming, Modern technology for living, and Modern technology for rice farming. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p587

Marker assisted biofortification of rice with pro-vitamin A using transgenic Golden Rice®lines: progress and prospects

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the major staple food crop which feeds more than half of the world's population. However, rice endosperm lacks pathway to synthesize provitamin

Around the World

In science news around the world, the incoming Australian government won't include a science minister, U.N. inspectors say they have found convincing evidence in Syria of a chemical weapons attack with sarin, reviews of a U.S.-led "golden rice" study in China suggest the study didn't fully comply with regulations, and more.

Standing Up for GMOs

On 8 August 2013, vandals destroyed a Philippine “Golden Rice” Field Trial. Officials and staff of the Philippine Department of Agriculture that conduct rice tests for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) had gathered for a peaceful dialogue. They were taken by surprise when protesters invaded the compound, overwhelmed police and village security, and trampled the rice. Billed as an uprising of farmers, the destruction was actually carried out by protesters trucked in overnight in a dozen jeepneys.