Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are an ongoing source of controversy, with environmentalists fearful of the dangers associated with altering the DNA of plants and animals. Yet many scientists believe that GMO foods can help to end malnutrition worldwide, and that a crop known as Golden Rice could have already prevented millions of deaths if its use had not been restricted.
 
White rice is the staple food in many developing countries, yet it lacks several key micronutrients. As a result, one in three children under the age of five is thought to suffer from vitamin A deficiency (VAD), a condition that causes blindness and weakens the immune system.
 
According to the World Health Organization, up to 500,000 children lose their sight each year because of VAD, half of whom die within 12 months of going blind.
 
Back in 2000, a solution to this global tragedy appeared to have been found when cell biologists Peter Beyer and Ingo Potrykus published details of their creation: Golden Rice. This genetically modified version of white rice had been adapted to produce an orange pigment called beta-carotene, which the body uses to manufacture vitamin A.
 
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