Scientists engineer rice to make beta-carotene, aiming to fight vitamin A deficiency. Regulation, opposition and field results keep it largely off farms for two decades.
Contested history
Consensus: Golden Rice reliably produces beta-carotene, but whether it would make a large difference to vitamin A deficiency in practice remains unproven.
Golden Rice is safe to eatEstablished
Food safety regulators in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and the Philippines approved it after review.
Golden Rice could substantially reduce vitamin A deficiencyDebated
A 2009 trial showed its beta-carotene converts well to vitamin A, but adoption, yields and diet effects have not been tested at scale.
Golden Rice was a corporate Trojan horse for GMOsMatter of opinion
Critics say it served industry public relations; developers note it was licensed free to poor farmers through a humanitarian program.