In the Philippines, the cultivation of Golden Rice and a genetically modified eggplant has been stopped. Due to a genetic modification, the golden yellow rice contains more provitamin A than conventional rice, it is said to prevent a deficiency of ß-carotene and thus blindness. Matin Qaim, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn, explains what the stop is all about.

Pia Heinemann

Editor Nature and Science

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Mr. Qaim, why is there a sudden stop to cultivation now that Golden Rice has already been sown and harvested?

At the end of last year, Greenpeace and the local non-governmental organization "MASIPAG" filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the Philippines to suspend the approval and use of Golden Rice and other genetically modified (GM) plants because these plants allegedly endanger nature and human health. There is a special passage in Philippine law that allows such applications from individuals and organizations. Recently, the court actually decided to temporarily suspend the use until the security was clarified. The application by Greenpeace and MASIPAG was to be expected because these two NGOs have been campaigning against genetic engineering for many years and have tried to prevent the approval of Golden Rice in the Philippines through various actions.

So the cultivation stop didn't surprise you?

The only surprising thing is that the court followed the request, as Golden Rice had been deemed safe and approved in 2021 after many years of testing its environmental and health impacts in the Philippines. Since then, there has been no new evidence on environmental and health risks.

So what are the biggest problems – the danger to the environment or the danger of dependencies on farmers?

These problems don't really exist. In their application, Greenpeace and MASIPAG refer very generally to hypothetical risks of genetically modified plants, which, however, are scientifically untenable. In addition, they claim that the rules applicable in the Philippines were not respected when Golden Rice was approved, which is also not true. The approval for Golden Rice had been granted by the competent authorities in accordance with the strict rules in force. All this is now being re-examined and is delaying the application of this technology, which is very regrettable.

Opponents of genetically modified crops in the fields cite possible dependencies of small farmers on seed producers.

There is no need to fear dependence on the farmers in the case of Golden Rice, because the seeds are sold at the usual prices and can be propagated free of charge by the farmers themselves. The patents were released by all parties involved for humanitarian purposes.

There is more provitamin A in the grains of Golden Rice than in normal rice grains. This is intended to prevent blindness in emerging markets. Does that work?

Yes, the provitamin A in Golden Rice is highly bioavailable, as evidenced by various studies. But it's not just about blindness, it's about much broader health issues. Vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of high infant mortality in many poor countries. Research that I have done with my research group shows that the use of Golden Rice probably cannot completely solve the problem of vitamin A deficiency, but it can reduce it by 60 percent. This means, among other things, that Golden Rice could save thousands of children's lives every year. That's why it's so bad that the use is now being further delayed.

Golden Rice was produced using conventional genetic engineering methods, it took decades. With modern genome editing, such as the Crispr-Cas-9 gene scissors, new plant varieties that are resistant to diseases or contain more nutrients can be brought to market more quickly. What does the ruling in the Philippines mean for the future of these plant varieties worldwide?

Indeed, new genomic methods of plant breeding have great potential to make global agriculture, biomass production and food security more sustainable – not as a panacea, of course, but as part of a broader strategy. Especially against the backdrop of climate change, we would be ill-advised not to use this potential responsibly. The ruling in the Philippines is a bit of a setback because it presumably further fuels the prejudice that the technology is dangerous. However, I am confident that the ban on the cultivation of Golden Rice is only temporary and that the scientific evidence ultimately weighs more heavily than deliberately stoked fears and prejudices.