FoE Africa Alert!: No to Medicine Rice

Monday, 12 March 2007

On the 6th of March 2007, it was reported in the media that a new variety of Genetically Modified (GM) rice containing human genes obtained preliminary approval from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for large-scale planting in Kansas. California-based Ventria Bioscience, the developer of the rice, claims that it can be used to treat diarrhea. A BBC TV report on the 6th of March showed images of African children in a hospital as an example of some supposed beneficiaries of the new rice. FoE Africa believes that our continent does not need genetically modified solutions to diarrhea and condemns the use of African children as a tool to promote the new GM rice produced by Ventria Bioscience. Diarrhea is an illness that has well-known causes, and proven, inexpensive solutions. Ventria’s GM rice is unproven, unnecessary, and a distraction from ongoing programs to save children suffering from diarrhea on our continent. Click here to read/download full details.