File Photo[/caption] Golden Rice, a new variety of beta-carotene-rich rice, a source of vitamin A, has been approved for commercial cultivation and use by the Department of Agriculture, Government of the Philippines. With this, there was no further obstacle in the cultivation and use of golden rice at the farmer level in the Southeast Asian country. Earlier, in December 2019, the country's Department of Agriculture approved Golden Rice for safe use as food for humans and animals. After receiving that approval, the Philippine National Rice Research Institute began research on the sensory evaluation of Philrice Golden Rice. At the end of the study commercial farming is applied for approval. Finally, last Thursday (July 22, 2021) Philrice got that approval. Scientists at Philrice have long studied the environmental and health safety of Golden Rice in the laboratory and on the field before censorship evaluation. Golden rice is a genetically modified crop. So under Philippine law, Golden Rice has to get environmental and health clearances before it can be approved for commercial use. Meanwhile, the application for environmental clearance of Golden Rice in Bangladesh has been under consideration of the Ministry of Environment for a long time. The application was made by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in late 2017 through the Ministry of Agriculture. A few years ago, Golden Rice received food security clearances in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. However, the Philippines is now the first country to allow the commercial use of Golden Rice. Congratulating Philrice, Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Dr. Md. Shahjahan Kabir said that this approval is an important milestone in our fight against vitamin A deficiency. Not just for the Philippines, but for Bangladesh as well. In 2017, BRRI applied to the Ministry of Environment for an environmental clearance (Biosafety approval) of Golden Rice in Bangladesh, which is still under consideration by the National Committee on Biosafety (NCB) of the Ministry of Environment. Since the higher authorities of the government have a positive attitude towards the release of Golden Rice in Bangladesh, we hope that the Government of Bangladesh, like the Philippines, will give environmental clearance to Golden Rice. "Once approved in Bangladesh, Golden Rice can be a sustainable and long-term solution, along with other supportive activities to address vitamin A deficiency," he added. One in five children in the Philippines suffers from vitamin A deficiency, especially in poor families. In addition, at least 190 million children worldwide suffer from a variety of health problems due to vitamin A deficiency, including blindness and poor immunity. Golden Rice is the world's first vitamin-rich rice. Beta carotene has been added with the help of genetic modification technology, which can meet up to 50 percent of a child's daily vitamin A needs. Scientists in the Philippines and Bangladesh have long been researching the yield and food security of golden rice under the Heldiar Rice Project. Under this project, in addition to Golden Rice, scientists at Philrice and BRRI are currently working to develop high-zinc and iron-rich rice. Source: Online/TA
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