In the late 1990s, German scientists developed a genetically modified variety of rice called Golden Rice. It was claimed to be able to fight Vitamin A deficiency, which is the leading cause of blindness among children and can also lead to death due to infectious diseases such as measles.
The claim has sometimes been contested over the years, with a 2016 study from Washington University in St Louis reporting that the variety may fall short of what it is supposed to achieve.However, it’s believed that large scale cultivation and consumption of Golden Rice provides a safe, culturally simple solution in countries like India, Bangladesh and the Philippines, where staple food grains, such as rice, are the primary source of calorie.
Director of ICAR- Indian Institute of Rice Research Dr Raman Meenakshi Sundaram spoke to Niharika Saila on the benefits of this variety of rice in India
What is Golden Rice and beta carotene?
Golden Rice is a genetically modified version of rice, which accumulates significant quantity of beta carotene and other carotenoids in the grain. Beta carotene is the precursor of Vitamin A and after ingestion into the human body, it is converted into Vitamin A by our digestive system. Golden Rice was developed by transforming maize genes into rice. It also contains carbohydrates. Beta carotene imparts this rice variety a golden yellow colour.
2 How is Golden Rice different from regular rice and biofortified rice?
Regular white rice (i.e. polished rice) is devoid of many vital nutrients including beta carotene while Golden Rice contains them in significant quantities. The term biofortified rice is used for rice grains possessing significant quantities of micronutrients like zinc. Golden Rice can also be considered a form of biofortified rice.
What is the current status of Golden Rice in India?
Currently, there is no cultivation or commercialisation of Golden Rice in India. However, a version of Golden Rice, called GR2E1 has got the necessary approvals related to its regulatory clearance in the Philippines and it is being cultivated in huge areas in that country. If it is determined that GR2E1 Golden rice has adequate quantities of beta carotene and other carotenoids, it can be brought to the country and after evaluation of its food and feed safety and other biosafety aspects, it can be possibly considered for de-regulation and commercial cultivation, after carefully considering the results obtained in the Philippines.
If Golden Rice is commercialised in India, how can it benefit consumers?
If it is found to be safe and nutritionally rich by the regulatory agencies of Government of India, then it can possibly be cleared for cultivation by farmers and consumption by the people in the country. Consumption of Golden Rice may help mitigate and reduce vitamin A deficiency among small children and lactating mothers and other vulnerable groups and may reduce the extent of blindness caused due to Vitamin A deficiency. Few studies carried out in the Philippines and elsewhere have shown that Golden Rice can play a significant role in mitigating Vitamin A deficiency.
What is the status of Golden Rice in other countries?
As mentioned earlier, GR2E1 Golden rice has already got the necessary approvals related to its regulatory clearance in the Philippines and 70 tonnes of the nutritionally rich Golden Rice has been harvested at the end of wet season 2022 for human consumption. Bangladesh has also developed its own versions of GR2E1 Golden Rice, which are undergoing biosafety related tests and may be released for cultivation in the future.
Are there any proposals before the government of India for the approval of Golden Rice?
Such proposals can be possibly submitted in future, once data from large scale feeding trials is available from the Philippines.