Golden rice: Back in the limelight
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Golden rice is once again thrown into the limelight after overcoming numerous challenges. The Court of Appeals has issued a Writ of Kalikasan against the Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice), mandating the cessation of all commercial propagation activities related to golden rice.
The ruling was initially made on April 17, 2024, and was later amended on August 15, 2024. In response, PhilRice has recently filed a Petition for Review on Certiorari with the Supreme Court, which includes a request for a Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction.
Through this Petition, PhilRice seeks the Supreme Court’s intervention to overturn the CA’s decisions and to annul the Writ of Kalikasan (Filipino word for “nature”), a legal remedy under Philippine law that provides protection of one’s constitutional right to a healthy environment, as outlined in Section 16, Article II of the Philippine Constitution.
“Malusog Rice represents a transformative technology that can significantly benefit impoverished communities,” said Dr. Howarth Bouis, 2016 World Food Prize laureate and founding director of HarvestPlus.
Malusog Rice is the local brand for golden rice. To think, golden rice has passed rigorous safety assessments by international regulators, including Food Standards Australia New Zealand (February 2018), Health Canada (March 2018), the United States Food and Drug Administration (May 2018), and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (December 2019).
In July 2021, the Philippines made history by being the first nation to authorize the commercial cultivation of golden rice. Research indicates that golden rice possesses a superior nutritional profile and enhanced resilience to environmental challenges, which may significantly benefit the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and bolster the country’s food security.
Golden rice contains beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Bioavailability of the carotene from golden rice has been confirmed and found to be an effective source of vitamin A for humans.
According to the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the beta-carotene content of golden rice aims to provide 30% to 50% of the estimated average requirement of vitamin A for pregnant women and young children.
The result of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 showed that daily consumption of a cup of golden rice – about 150 grams uncooked weight – could supply half of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin A for an adult.
“The beta-carotene produced in golden rice is identical to the beta-carotene in green leafy and many types of yellow-colored vegetables and orange-colored fruits, and identical to synthetic beta-carotene found in many vitamin supplements and food ingredients,” says IRRI, a member of the CGIAR System Organization, a global research partnership for a good secure future.
Golden rice is a transgenic crop, which means it has a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.
“In classical or conventional plant breeding, gene transfers are limited to between varieties of the same species; occasionally between varieties of the same genus, and rarely between species belonging to different genera,” explains Dr. Emil Q. Javier, former science secretary and a national scientist. “Transferring novel genes between plant families, much less from bacteria to plants, was impossible. But now with modern biotechnology, very wide introgressions are possible.”
With modern biotechnology, plant breeders can now bring together in one plant useful genes from a wide range of living sources, not just from within the crop species or from closely related plants.
“(Biotechnology) is a powerful tool that allows plant breeders to do faster what they have been doing for years – generate superior plant varieties – although it expands the possibilities beyond the limits imposed by conventional plant breeding,” explains the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Application.
Golden rice got its name from its golden yellow color, an indication of its beta carotene content. It was developed by combining a gene from corn and a common soil microorganism that together produce beta carotene in the grain.
Being a product of biotechnology, golden rice has been scrutinized. After several years of “rigorous biosafety assessment,” the Bureau of Plant Industry declared golden rice “as safe as conventional rice.”
Golden rice was finally approved for commercial propagation in 2021. The PhilRice, a line agency of Department of Agriculture ramped up immediately its seed production operations so that it can deploy the seeds to interested farmers soon.
To plant a hectare with golden rice, the recommendation is 20-40 kilograms of seeds for optimum yield.
Dr. Russell Reinke, program leader of IRRI’s Healthier Rice, agrees. “Our confined tests show that golden rice is comparable to conventional rice-growing,” he says. “Golden rice does not require any changes in farm management or cultivation practices.”
Farmers who plant golden rice need not to worry about contaminating other farms planted to conventional rice. “Rice is a self-pollinating crop,” says Dr. Ronan G. Zagado, leader of PhilRice’s golden rice program, “besides, the rice pollen can only survive for a few minutes after flowering. Hence, there is very little chance for cross-pollination to take place.”
Farmers who plant golden rice – locally known as Malusog 1 – in their farms can use the same seeds planted previously. “Golden rice is an inbred rice variety registered with the National Seed Industry Council,” Dr. Zagado says. “Like other inbred rice varieties, its seeds can be used in the next planting seasons.”
Filipinos who are always eating white rice may find it odd eating golden rice. The color may be yellow but the taste is not different from ordinary rice. “The response we’ve received from participants of the initial sensory evaluation and the ceremonial taste test (conducted at PhilRice) is that they are unable to tell the difference in terms of taste and eating quality of golden rice vis-a-vis its parent background,” Dr. Reinke says.
Those who tried eating golden rice reportedly did not experience some health problems like stomach ache and allergy, among others. “No, we have not heard otherwise,” replies Dr. Reinke when asked if there were some health problems reported after consuming golden rice.
“It must also be noted that rice, as well as the genes used to develop golden rice, have a history of safe use,” he points out. “Further, the regulatory authorities in a number of countries like Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, and the Philippines have all declared golden rice as safe as ordinary rice.”
The future of golden rice being planted on most farms in the country looks optimistic. “The golden rice trait will be incorporated into a range of rice varieties suitable for growing in all regions of the Philippines so that populations who are vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency can have access,” Dr. Reinke says. “This is a very cost-effective way to improve the health and well-being of many people.”
