Some people are genuinely ill-informed and think that the solution to vitamin A deficiency is to just supply those suffering with carrots and green leafy vegetable. Easy enough - right?
Others argue for carrots and green leafy vegetables because they put their ideology and political views above the lives of millions of children, these people are are usually from rich Western countries and argue with a full belly and 20/20 vision.
I just want be clear of the real problems and solutions.
A large amount of the poor suffering for vitamin A deficiency live in city slums and have no resources to grow their own food.
All they can afford is a small amount of rice a day, which is enough calories to survive but not enough vitamins to be healthy. If they direct their resources away from rice to vitamin A rich foods, they will then not have enough calories in their diet to survive! They will starve to death.
Fortifying the only food they eat with vitamin A (Golden Rice) will help save the lives (and sight) of millions of children.
Vitamin A pills are currently distributed to about 63% of children suffering from vitamin A deficiency at a cost of about $1 billions a year, 2 million children still die every year with this method, it is unsustainable and not effective to continue this method forever.
Golden Rice already has the distribution methods that are used now and will not cost any more than rice that is available now.
For the short to medium term, a combination of vitamin A pills and Golden Rice will save the sight and lives of millions of children and we all should work towards a future where everyone can afford a balanced, rich diet.
Our opponents some how think that we can jump to the long term solution now or are happy for millions to die until this magical point is reach at some point in the future.
Lets also remember that the only difference between rice and Golden Rice is bata carotene, (beta carotene already exists in the leaves of the rice plant) those who say Golden Rice is dangerous are saying that beta carotene in dangerous. That is ridiculous, otherwise they would be also be asking to ban carrots, sweet potato and green leafy vegetables!
Their opposition makes no sense and they clearly have no concern for the millions of parents who watch their children die each year.
Please help spread the positive message of Golden Rice and be vocal in the face of the mis-information campaign against Golden Rice.
Thanks for listening
