Good news from this week's SW BULLETIN:
GENETIC ENGINEERING: AGRICULTURE
Vitamin A deficiency affects approximately 400 million people
worldwide, leaving them vulnerable to infections and blindness.
Iron deficiency, which is the primary micronutritional shortage,
and which can be made worse by a diet of ordinary rice, afflicts
approximately 3.7 billion people, particularly women, producing
anemia and susceptibility to complications during childbirth.
Earlier this month, at the 16th International Botanical Congress,
I. Potrykus et al (CH) reported the genetic engineering of rice
to contain beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, and in
addition a nutritive dose of iron. The achievement is evidently
causing excitement in the agricultural research community, since
this is the first type of rice genetically engineered for
nutritional enhancement. Since the research was not industryfunded,
it is expected that the farmers who need micronutrientrich
rice may get it free of charge. Because the potential
benefits are great and the potential environmental risks small,
there is some expectation that the new rice strain may draw less
opposition from critics of genetically engineered foods than
other modified crop plants now on the market. (SCI)
Brian
Member, Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W