Golden Rice is being reviewed in Bangladesh – Diligent IAS 25/11/2019 – Posted in: Daily News
GOLDEN RICE
Bangladesh could become the first country to approve the plantation of golden rice. The Golden Rice that is being reviewed in Bangladesh is developed by the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute. If everything goes to plan, farmers might be planting golden rice seed by 2021.
Background
- In the late 1990s, scientists from Germany developed a genetically modified variety of rice, known as Golden Rice.
- Golden Rice 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 need of Golden Rice in Bangladesh
- In Bangladesh, over 21 per cent of the children have a vitamin-A deficiency. It can help Bangladesh, where Vitamin-A deficiencies leave millions at high risk.
- Also, this rice variety will not be more expensive than the conventional variety of rice.
Why Golden Colour?
Rice is naturally low in the pigment beta-carotene, which the body uses to make Vitamin-A. Golden rice contains this, which is the reason for its golden colour.
How was it developed?
- Vitamin A is made from beta-carotene, which is found in carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables.
- To create golden rice, scientists modified rice plants with beta-carotene genes from maize. By doing this, rice plants started to produce the rich orange-coloured pigment.
- Then, the transgenic plants were donated to publicly funded research centres to develop their own versions of golden rice using local rice varieties.
Source: Indian Express
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