Is Golden Rice the Crop to Prove GMs Worth?
Date: 25-Feb-04 Country: CHINA Author: Nao Nakanishi Yet scientists have not lost hope that transgenic Golden Rice, enriched with vitamin A, may prove one day that the controversial biotechnology can help feed the poor and needy if applied with caution and care. More and more farmers, seeking lower production costs, are planting insect-resistant or herbicide-tolerant GM soy, corn or cotton. But not all consumers are convinced that such products are safe for the environment or people. Opposing activists have dubbed such crops “Frankenstein food.” Some have also voiced doubts that the technology is really being used for meeting human challenges, such as hunger or water shortages, rather than just to maximize industry profits. “GM food cannot eradicate hunger,” said Devinder Sharma, a food and trade policy specialist in India who is fighting to bar the introduction of transgenic crops into the country. “It is not the question of production, but the distribution and access … Food is rott
