{"id":7980,"date":"2023-09-12T09:43:11","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T09:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ricenewstoday.com\/dev\/?p=7980"},"modified":"2023-09-12T09:43:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T09:43:29","slug":"is-the-genetically-modified-nutrient-rich-golden-rice-as-safe-as-promised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ricenewstoday.com\/dev\/is-the-genetically-modified-nutrient-rich-golden-rice-as-safe-as-promised\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the genetically modified, nutrient-rich Golden Rice as safe as promised?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>In April, the Philippines\u2019 Supreme Court heeded farmers\u2019 and activists\u2019 calls to look into the safety promise of Golden Rice, a genetically modified grain created to tackle the vitamin A deficiency that impacts millions, over concerns about its potential impact to rice biodiversity, farmer livelihoods and human health.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The debate over Golden Rice is long-standing and heated, spanning two decades and primarily centered in the Philippines, where it was initially approved for commercial release.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>As legal debates over its safety promise continue, the country\u2019s Golden Rice rollout is on track and officials aim on cultivating 500,000 hectares (1.24 million acres) of the crop by 2028.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Mongabay spoke with health experts, Filipino officials, conservationists, farmers\u2019 groups and civil society organizations about the contentious issue.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>PALAWAN, Philippines \u2014 On Aug. 8, 2013, Fernando de Chavez, along with more than 400 farmers and advocates,\u00a0stormed\u00a0a Golden Rice field trial site in Pili, a town in Camarines Sur province, southeast of Manila. The incident, now known as the International Day of Action Against Golden Rice, involved uprooting the genetically modified rice due to concerns over its potential environmental and social impacts, as well as possible health effects. A decade later, their anger and opposition remains unquelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf necessary, we will not hesitate to repeat the uprooting of Golden Rice in our community here in Camarines Sur,\u201d said de Chavez, spokesperson for the grassroots group SIKWAL GMO (meaning \u201creject GMOs\u201d in the regional dialect), during a protest on Aug. 8, 2023, to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the incident. \u201cWe vehemently reject it as it will not serve any purpose for our welfare and our overall mission to holistically feed our community with safe, affordable, and adequate food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The farmer leader is linked to MASIPAG, a network of scientists and farmers who\u00a0led a petition\u00a0to the Philippine Supreme Court against the commercial release of Golden Rice, known here as Malusog Rice. This rice variety\u2019s distinct yellow-orange color comes from added beta-carotene, with turns into vitamin A in the body, to tackle the vitamin A deficiency (VAD) that impacts millions of Filipino children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This April, the court issued a\u00a0writ of\u00a0<em>kalikasan<\/em>\u00a0(writ of nature), acknowledging civil society groups\u2019 concerns about Golden Rice\u2019s potential harm to rice biodiversity and human health. \u201cWe were delighted and gained the courage to really oppose Golden Rice because the Supreme Court listened to us,\u201d de Chavez told Mongabay by phone. Activists say the Philippines already has several\u00a0alternative crops\u00a0with higher beta-carotene content than Malusog Rice and should be used instead to tackle VAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Supporters of Golden Rice, however, say it can be \u201cas safe as conventional rice\u201d and\u00a0that\u00a0eating the genetically modified rice \u201coffers a potent and cost-effective strategy to combat VAD\u201d and its linked risks. These include infectious and diarrheal diseases, irreversible blindness, other sensory losses, and premature death. The crop also differs from many other GMOs in its composition, they say, and opposition to its use is done without any real scientific basis. Planting of the rice is now already underway across seven provinces with officials set to have it fully commercialized by late 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The long-standing and heated debate over Golden Rice, spanning two decades and primarily centered in the Philippines, where it was initially approved for commercial release, continues unabated. Amid the Supreme Court\u2019s intervention, ongoing discussions persist about the effectiveness of addressing VAD without adverse impacts on both humans and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273135\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11122932\/rice.jpg\" alt=\"Malusog Rice's distinct yellow-orange color comes from added beta carotene\" class=\"wp-image-273135\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Malusog Rice\u2019s distinct yellow-orange color comes from added beta carotene, which turns into Vitamin A in the body, to tackle the vitamin deficiency which impacts millions of Filipino children. Image courtesy of DA-PhilRice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2018As safe as conventional rice\u2019?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Introduced in 2004, the\u00a0Golden Rice technology\u00a0involves adding two genes from maize and a common soil bacterium into white rice, with its developers later donating the technology to combat VAD in less-industrialized nations like the Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past three decades, VAD has led to millions of child deaths in less these countries \u2014around 2 million each year in the early 1990s alone \u2014 though the figure fell to an estimated\u00a0105,700\u00a0by 2013. Specifically affecting children under 5,\u00a0VAD still remains a global concern, even as total cases of the deficiency decreased from 877 million to 490 million from 1990 to 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VAD is common in the Global South, but rare in the Global North, according to the World Health Organization. Golden Rice proponents say it arises from limited dietary diversity due to poverty, market constraints, and agronomic factors, affecting people in poorer nations who have restricted access to vitamin A-rich foods, while consumers in wealthier countries with higher incomes enjoy more diverse diets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a country approves Golden Rice for use, its government must assess its environmental safety for cultivation and human and animal consumption, adhering to the \u201cprecautionary principle\u201d outlined in the\u00a0Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This \u201cbetter safe than sorry\u201d principle also calls for restricting a product of biotechnology in the face of a possible or unknown risk. Activists see this principle as a safeguard for public and environmental health, but supporters of GMOs\u00a0say\u00a0it only hinders the advancement of Golden Rice research, development, release, and widespread adoption in front of unfounded claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture\u2019s Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA\u2013PhilRice) is spearheading Golden Rice\u2019s development and deployment, partnering with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), also headquartered in the country. The DA\u2019s Bureau of Plant Industries issued a\u00a0biosafety permit\u00a0for Malusog Rice in December 2019, attesting that it\u2019s \u201cas safe as conventional rice\u201d following set\u00a0regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between 2016 and 2018, food safety regulators in\u00a0Australia and New Zealand,\u00a0Canada,\u00a0and the\u00a0United States\u00a0reviewed the\u00a0biosafety application documents\u00a0for Malusog Rice and confirmed its safety for consumption, PhilRice said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The WHO has not yet issued guidance on the consumption of biofortified foods, like Golden Rice, for preventing VAD, the organization told Mongabay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe biosafety of genetically modified crops is assessed by regulators worldwide using a concept \u2026 wherein genetically modified crops must demonstrate that they are the same as their parent variety with the exception of the trait that was added,\u201d Ronan Zagado, director of PhilRice\u2019s Golden Rice program, told Mongabay in an email. \u201cIn the case of Malusog Rice, our data shows that it is the same as its parent rice variety but with added beta carotene content.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plant-derived beta-carotene is a commonly occurring nutrient (think carrots), and \u201chas been safely consumed by humans for a long time,\u201d Zagado said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273133\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11115814\/commercial-propagation.jpg\" alt=\"In July 2021, the commercial propagation permit for Malusog Rice was granted, paving the way for its pilot-scale deployment in several provinces a year later.\" class=\"wp-image-273133\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In July 2021, the commercial propagation permit for Malusog Rice was granted, paving the way for its pilot-scale deployment in several provinces a year later. Image courtesy of DA-PhilRice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For PhilRice and the IRRI, greater consumption of beta-carotene\u00a0is important\u00a0in the Philippines, where VAD affects 1.7 million to 2 million children under 5, according to the government\u2019s\u00a02018-2019 nutrition survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In July 2021, authorities\u00a0approved\u00a0the commercial propagation permit for Malusog Rice. A year later,\u00a0pilot-scale deployment began in seven provinces, and the seeds produced in these sites will be available in other target areas by the last quarter of this year. Zagado said they\u2019re\u00a0expanding seed production\u00a0through partnerships with local governments, public research and experiment centers, farmers, and growers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 2023 dry season, 47 hectares (116 acres) were planted by\u00a0partner seed growers, attracting attention from government agencies focused on food security and social welfare. Some local governments have included Malusog Rice in\u00a0feeding, relief, and\u00a0rice distribution\u00a0programs, and 19 local resolutions have been passed to endorse its cultivation, according to Zagado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PhilRice aims to achieve 500,000 hectares (1.24 million acres), equivalent to almost seven times the size of Singapore, of Malusog Rice cultivation by 2028, and is actively pursuing policy support from both national and local authorities to accomplish this goal. Malusog Rice is\u00a0set\u00a0for full commercialization in late 2024. The milled rice will be bought from partner\u00a0farmer-cooperators\u00a0and sold to the public through PhilRice\u00a0branch stations\u00a0and select local markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having gained\u00a0approval for safe consumption\u00a0in numerous countries, proponents of Golden Rice foresee a similar path for Bangladesh, where\u00a0cultivation is also being considered. They say this may potentially lead to a widespread adoption of the\u00a0\u201cgolden diet\u201d\u00a0in\u00a0other Asian countries\u00a0and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273134\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11120821\/DA-PhilRice.jpg\" alt=\"In the 2023 dry season, 47 hectares (approximately 116 acres) were cultivated by partner seed growers of DA-PhilRice, drawing interest from government agencies dedicated to food security and social welfare. \" class=\"wp-image-273134\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In the 2023 dry season, 47 hectares (approximately 116 acres) were cultivated by partner seed growers of DA-PhilRice, drawing interest from government agencies dedicated to food security and social welfare. Image courtesy of DA-PhilRice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273136\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11123334\/MASIPAG_1-s.jpg\" alt=\"Farmers affiliated with the advocacy group MASIPAG resist the genetically modified rice\" class=\"wp-image-273136\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Farmers affiliated with the advocacy group MASIPAG resist the genetically modified rice, branded as Malusog (translated as \u201cHealthy\u201d in Filipino) Rice in the Philippines, due to concerns about its potential environmental and social impacts, as well as possible effects on health. Image courtesy of MASIPAG.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2018Just like other GMOs\u2019?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In April this year, the Philippine Supreme Court, however, heeded activists\u2019 calls and issued a writ of kalikasan, a legal measure rooted in the country\u2019s \u201cprecautionary principle\u201d to protect the public\u2019s right to a balanced and healthy ecology when confronted with potential risks and uncertainties posed by novel initiatives like genetically modified rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PhilRice and other government agency respondents must present scientifically backed evidence to disprove the petitioners\u2019 assertions. The court, however, has not yet granted the petitioners\u2019 request for a temporary environmental protection order, which would effectively suspend the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Health concerns are not the only worry for activists against the GMO, who also highlight the potential environmental and social impacts of introducing a genetically modified crop. MASIPAG national coordinator Alfie Pulumbarit said Malusog Rice predominantly serves corporate interests, neglects peasants, and poses a risk of genetic contamination to local rice varieties, ultimately endangering local rice biodiversity. Farmers, consistently the country\u2019s\u00a0poorest sector, cultivate more than\u00a07,000 unique traditional rice varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the technology was donated by Switzerland-based seed company Syngenta for \u201chumanitarian use\u201d and allows farmers to reuse their harvested grains as seeds for the following season (farmers thus own their seeds), activists against the crop remain skeptical. The fact that Syngenta\u00a0maintains\u00a0full commercial rights over Golden Rice, including all technological enhancements, lead activists to paint it with the same stroke as other GMO crops where farmers rely on corporations, who may control the seed market, for seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlthough IRRI\u00a0stated\u00a0that it will be distributed free of charge to rice farmers in the Philippines, there is no guarantee that it will not change,\u201d said Kartini Samon of the international nonprofit GRAIN, supporting small-scale farmers and social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273137\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11123513\/PhilRice.jpg\" alt=\"PhilRice aims to cultivate 500,000 hectares (over 1.2 million acres) of Malusog Rice by 2028 and is actively seeking support from farming communities and national and local authorities to achieve this goal.\" class=\"wp-image-273137\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PhilRice aims to cultivate 500,000 hectares (over 1.2 million acres) of Malusog Rice by 2028 and is actively seeking support from farming communities and national and local authorities to achieve this goal. Image courtesy of DA-PhilRice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Proven environmental impacts of Golden Rice have not been established, and farmer and civil society concerns remain on the potential for environmental impact. They frequently look towards the experiences of other GMOs, like those that resist herbicides like glyphosate which can lead to its increased use, as observed in\u00a0Argentina\u2019s soy industry, which\u00a0contaminated\u00a0water sources and killed bees crucial for crop pollination. The increased reliance on herbicides forces farmers to continually have to buy it every season, while the herbicide itself is\u00a0linked\u00a0to potential cancer risks and the contamination of soil and water, posing a threat to diverse organisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, while other GMOs may be modified to resist or produce herbicides, proponents and PhilRice maintain that this crop is different. Golden Rice hasn\u2019t been modified to do either, and they\u2019ve observed no impacts to pests or other species during field tests. Use of the crop will require no changes in current pest-control practices, PhilRice told Mongabay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Golden Rice is yet to be commercially cultivated worldwide and has been grown solely in testing sites in the Philippines, Samon said the impact assessment done so far relies on the experiences of existing genetically modified crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith its proponents already saying that Golden Rice cultivation is the same as conventional rice farming, Golden Rice only pursues capital and chemical intensive industrial farming \u2014 a field where only huge agrochemical corporations can participate and not Filipino farmers,\u201d said Pulumbarit of MASIPAG during a\u00a0public forum\u00a0and nationwide protest on Aug. 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Camarines Sur, de Chavez, 58, cultivates at least five traditional rice varieties. He said he worries that if these are wiped out or contaminated through cross-pollination or seed mixing, it will mean a dependence on Golden Rice. \u201cIt will be a huge burden for us small farmers, while corporations will end up reaping the benefits,\u201d he said. \u201cThis will only further mire us in the\u00a0worsening state of agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Samon of Grain echoed MASIPAG\u2019s concern. She said Golden Rice\u2019s introduction in Asia, a region heavily reliant on rice as a staple food, could endanger its diverse indigenous rice varieties. In the U.S., a genetically modified rice developed by Bayer CropScience was\u00a0detected in the rice supply chain in 2006, causing a huge scandal and millions of dollars in losses for farmers as the GMO was not yet licensed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of the most imminent threats is the contamination of these local varieties by genetically modified Golden Rice,\u201d she told Mongabay via email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273138\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11123723\/MASIPAG-farmers.jpg\" alt=\"MASIPAG farmers believe that the solution to Vitamin A deficiency lies in their own backyards\" class=\"wp-image-273138\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">MASIPAG farmers believe that the solution to Vitamin A deficiency lies in their own backyards, with crops like sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and moringga, and they are urging the government to bolster organic production and promote these vitamin A-rich crops to tackle the problem. Image courtesy of MASIPAG.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Any alternatives?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>MASIPAG said the Philippines has several\u00a0alternative crops\u00a0like tomatoes, squash,\u00a0<em>malunggay<\/em>, carrots, and sweet potatoes with significantly higher beta-carotene content than Malusog Rice (whose beta-carotene\u00a0deteriorates\u00a0quickly when stored after polishing). The group said these alternatives could benefit communities if local growers receive government support for post-production processing or marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, MASIPAG highlighted the stark contrast in beta-carotene content between Golden Rice at 3.57 micrograms and squash at\u00a0410 micrograms, as per the Philippines\u2019 Food and Research Institute. To get the required daily recommended amount of vitamin A, one would need to consume at least 8.8 kilograms (19 pounds) of Golden Rice in a day, the group said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBetter options\u201d to combat vitamin A deficiency in the country also include various\u00a0green and leafy vegetables\u00a0like\u00a0<em>saluyot<\/em>\u00a0(jute mallow),\u00a0<em>alugbati<\/em>\u00a0(Malabar spinach),\u00a0<em>gabi\u00a0<\/em>(taro), and\u00a0<em>kangkong<\/em>\u00a0(water spinach), which are rich in beta-carotene and other essential nutrients. Promoting organic cultivation of these vegetables and providing seeds or planting material is a cost-effective approach, instead of\u00a0investing millions\u00a0in Golden Rice research and development, advocates say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe beta-carotene found in Golden Rice can be obtained from simple vegetables that we have been cultivating as organic farmers for a long time,\u201d said Virginia Nazareno, an organic farming advocate and leader in Quezon province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the Philippine Society of Nutritionist-Dietitians, Inc. (PSND), agreed that these alternative crops can increase vitamin A intake and that the government should support farmers to distribute these crops to markets where people can easily access them, it said Malusog Rice should still be available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor low-income households, rice would comprise as much as 80% (or more) of their caloric intake,\u201d said PSND president Ma. Cristina Sison. \u201cIf rice is the only food on the table for a family that cannot afford to buy fruits and vegetables, then it would help if that one food that they can afford and eat is able to provide Vitamin A (and other micronutrients) to allow them to meet their daily nutrient requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273139\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11123830\/paddy-field.jpg\" alt=\"Malusog Rice expanded from 47 ha in the 2023 dry season to 227 ha in the 2023 wet cropping season across 10 regions in the Philippines\" class=\"wp-image-273139\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Malusog Rice expanded from 47 hectares (116 acres) in the 2023 dry season to 227 hectares (560 acres) in the 2023 wet cropping season across 10 regions in the Philippines, with a 2029 goal of covering 10% of the nation\u2019s rice production to address vitamin A deficiency. Image courtesy of DA-PhilRice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_273140\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/09\/11123948\/MASIPAG_4-s.jpg\" alt=\"MASIPAG, a collective of scientists and farmers, spearheaded a petition to the Philippine Supreme Court opposing the commercial release of Golden Rice\" class=\"wp-image-273140\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">MASIPAG, a collective of scientists and farmers, spearheaded a petition to the Philippine Supreme Court opposing the commercial release of Golden Rice, locally known as Malusog Rice. Image courtesy of MASIPAG.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Philippines\u2019\u00a0sluggish uptake\u00a0of environmentally sustainable farming poses an extra challenge to cultivating vitamin A-rich crops and ensuring continuous local accessibility. Public data\u00a0show\u00a0only 251 out of the country\u2019s 1,489 municipalities have organic agriculture programs, and only around 350,000 hectares (864,000 acres), or less than 5%, of the country\u2019s total agriculture land have been devoted to organic farming, despite a\u00a0law\u00a0mandating the widespread promotion of this farming mode among local communities, including those with high incidences of VAD. Farmers are reticent to take on\u00a0low initial yields, a\u00a0lack of access to markets,\u00a0difficulties in obtaining organic certification\u00a0for their products, and\u00a0limited funding\u00a0allocated to organic farming by the government, citing these as key barriers slowing the adoption of organic farming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe government should \u2026 advocate for the rights of us small-scale farmers,\u201d added Nazareno of the\u00a0Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organisations, \u201cbecause we are the backbone of our country\u2019s agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PALAWAN, Philippines \u2014 On Aug. 8, 2013, Fernando de Chavez, along with more than 400 farmers and advocates,\u00a0stormed\u00a0a Golden Rice field trial site in Pili, a town in Camarines Sur province, southeast of Manila. The incident, now known as the International Day of Action Against Golden Rice, involved uprooting the genetically modified rice due to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[176,31],"tags":[368,364,159],"class_list":["post-7980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-articles","tag-gmo-rice","tag-golden-rice","tag-global-rice-news"],"acf":{"enable_premium_overlay":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is the genetically modified, nutrient-rich Golden Rice as safe as promised? - Rice News Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is the genetically modified, nutrient-rich Golden Rice as safe as promised? - Rice News Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PALAWAN, Philippines \u2014 On Aug. 8, 2013, Fernando de Chavez, along with more than 400 farmers and advocates,\u00a0stormed\u00a0a Golden Rice field trial site in Pili, a town in Camarines Sur province, southeast of Manila. 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