After years of campaigning by Greenpeace , a royal court in the Philippines has revoked the permit to grow “ Golden Rice ” , a genetically alter craw plan to battle malnutrition . The move is a highly controversial one , with some scientists saying the determination could potentially cost “ thousands and thousands ” of biography .

The Philippines became the first country in the world to O.K. Golden Rice in 2021 . However , the Court of Appeals in the capital Manila revoked the permit for the commercial-grade yield of the rice in April 2024 , citing “ run afoul scientific aspect and doubt on the risks and effects of Golden Rice , ” grant toAFP .

The decision come after the shell was brought to the courtyard by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and other group .

“ This decision is a monumental profits for Filipino farmers and Filipino people who have for decades stood up against genetically alter ( GM ) crop , ” Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Wilhelmina Pelegrina say in astatement .

“ We reiterate our stance : the involved company and agencies have yet to show concrete grounds that these crops would be in the best interest of Filipinos , our environment , and our agricultural sphere , ” she added .

Bear in mind that scientists have yet to discover any confirmed negative wellness or environmental consequences linked to the using up of Golden Rice or any other genetically modified organism ( GMO ) crops – although some researchers take they have identified several potential benefits .

“ The court ’s decision is a disaster , ” Matin Qaim , Professor of Food and Agricultural Economics at Bonn University and a fellow member of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board , which hold the harvest ’s introduction , toldthe Guardian .

“ It goes altogether against the science , which has found no grounds of any risk associated with Golden Rice , and will result in thousands and thousands of children dying , ” added Professor Qaim .

The disputation aroundGolden Riceis a recollective and ardent one . Developed over two decades ago , Golden Rice is white rice that has been genetically pull off toinclude sure genesfrom maize and common dirt bacterium . The additional genes activate the rice to produce genus Beta - carotene , an orange - colored pigment found in many fruit and veg that is converted into vitamin A in the body .

Its use is to addressvitamin A deficiency , a pervasive trouble in grow country that puts around 140 million children at greater peril of malady , hear loss , blindness , and even death . Advocates of Golden Rice claim that enrich GMO superintendent - Elmer Leopold Rice has the potential tosave trillion of children ’s liveswhile posing minimal threat to human wellness or the wider surroundings .

Greenpeace has been one of the cheap voice of foe against its roll - out , arguing the purported benefits have been massively over - hyped . They also suggest it could start the door to more GMOs and give up big agriculture to dominate the grocery at the expense of smaller farmers .

However , the environmental NGO ’s stance has been hard criticized over the long time . In 2016 , over 100 Nobel laureatessigned a lettercalling on Greenpeace to brush up its lieu on genetically organize Golden Rice , claimingthey were crowd a “ fact - challenged propaganda crusade against origination in agricultural biotechnology . "

" GMOs are extensively test and subjected to a higher level of regulative recapitulation than any other crop and food , " the letter take . " Greenpeace have also claimed that Golden Rice would not work ; that it would not surrender enough vitamin A to be effective , or that it would acquire so much as to be dangerous . All these claim are sham . "

Greenpeace has remained dogmatically oppose to GMOs , especially Golden Rice . Theydoubled down against the 2016 letterby responding : “ Corporations are overhyping ‘ gold ’ Timothy Miles Bindon Rice to pave the way for orbicular approval of other more profitable genetically engineered crop . ”

“ Rather than invest in this overprice public dealings exercise , we take to address malnutrition through a more divers diet , equitable admittance to intellectual nourishment and eco - agriculture . ”