PowerPoint presentation by Gerard Barry at IFPRI Policy Seminar "Leveraging Agriculture to Improve Human Nutrition: Prospects for Golden Rice" April 14, 2011

1. Golden Rice
Fighting vitamin A deficiency in
the Philippines and Bangladesh
Dr. Gerard Barry
Golden Rice Network Coordinator
International Rice Research Institute
Leveraging Agriculture to Improve Human Nutrition:
Prospects for Golden Rice
14 April 2011 1

2. The need
• Globally, approximately 670,000 children die every year
because they are vitamin A–deficient.1
• Another 350,000 children go blind.2
• More than 90 million children in Southeast Asia suffer from
vitamin A deficiency, more than in any other region.3
1. Black RE et al. 2008. Maternal and child undernutrition: global and
regional exposures and health consequences. The Lancet 371 (9608):253.
2. Whitcher JP, Srinivasan M, Upadhyay MP. 2001. Corneal blindness: a
global perspective. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 79(3):214.
3. WHO Global Database on Vitamin A Deficiency. 2009. Global Prevalence
of vitamin A deficiency in populations at risk, 1995-2005. Geneva: WHO.
www.irri.org/goldenrice 2

3. www.irri.org/goldenrice 3

4. The need
In the Philippines
• 4 out of 10 (40.1%) children aged 6 months to 5 years are
estimated to be vitamin A-deficient
• Subclinical vitamin A deficiency affects 17.5% of
pregnant women
In Bangladesh
• 1 out of 5 (21.7%) pre-school children are estimated to be
vitamin A-deficient
• Among pregnant women, 23.7% are affected by vitamin
A deficiency
www.irri.org/goldenrice 4

5. Reducing Vitamin A Deficiency
• Dietary Diversification
• Vitamin A Capsule Supplementation
• Large-scale Fortification
• Biofortification
5

6. The need
Vitamin A deficiency continues to adversely affect many
people, especially the last 10-20% in the hardest-to-reach
areas.
In many developing countries, effective programs are not
in place to reach all people in need adequately and
consistently.
The most vulnerable children and women are often
missed.
www.irri.org/goldenrice 6

7. Golden Rice
Golden Rice is unique because it contains beta carotene, which
gives it a golden color.
Daily consumption of a very modest amount of Golden Rice –
about a cup (around 150g uncooked weight) – could supply
50% of the RDA of vitamin A for an adult.1
Because rice is widely produced and consumed, Golden Rice has
the potential to reach many people.
Golden Rice is intended to be used in combination with existing
approaches to overcome vitamin A deficiency.
1. Tang G, Qin J, Dolnikowski GG, Russel RM, Grusak MA. 2009. Golden Rice is an
effective source of vitamin A. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 89:1776-83.
www.irri.org/goldenrice 7

8. Our project
Leading nutrition and agricultural research organizations
are working together to further develop and evaluate
Golden Rice as a potential tool to reduce vitamin A
deficiency in the Philippines and Bangladesh.
www.irri.org/goldenrice 8

9. Partners
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
• Helen Keller International (HKI)
• Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)
• Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)
www.irri.org/goldenrice 9

10. Our work
• Establish the safety of Golden Rice.
• Evaluate whether consumption of Golden Rice
improves vitamin A status.
• Ensure that Golden Rice will reach those most
in need.
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11. Establishing safety
• Field tests in the Philippines and Bangladesh
• Biosafety data reviewed under internationally accepted
guidelines for food, feed and environmental safety
• Safety information submitted to government regulators
as early as
– 2013 in the Philippines by PhilRice
– 2015 in Bangladesh by BRRI
• Regulators will complete their approval processes for
Golden Rice before nutritional efficacy studies or release
to farmers
www.irri.org/goldenrice 11

12. PhilRice confined field test
www.irri.org/goldenrice 12

13. Nutritional Efficacy
Does daily consumption of Golden Rice improve the
vitamin A status of adults?
• This study will begin only after biosafety is confirmed
• Double blind prospective clinical bio-efficacy trial
• Among vitamin A-deficient adults in the Philippines
• Comparing the efficacy of daily consumption of Golden Rice,
white rice, and vitamin A supplements for 90 days
• Led by HKI with U California Davis and local partners
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14. Reaching those in need
• Design and test a delivery program to ensure that Golden Rice
can reach farmers and consumers in a sustainable manner in the
Philippines and Bangladesh.
• Golden Rice will be released by PhilRice and BRRI in rice
varieties that are already popular with local farmers.
• Golden Rice seeds are expected to cost farmers the same as
other rice varieties.
• Cooking and taste tests will be done to help make sure these
qualities of Golden Rice meet consumers’ needs.
www.irri.org/goldenrice 14

15. Looking ahead
The partners will continue to work to ensure that
Golden Rice reaches those most in need in the
Philippines and Bangladesh
Lessons from the Philippines and Bangladesh will
be important in designing plans for Golden Rice in
other countries.
www.irri.org/goldenrice 15

16. “Since a large proportion of vitamin A–deficient children
and their mothers reside in rice-consuming populations,
particularly in Asia, Golden Rice should substantially
reduce the prevalence and severity of vitamin A
deficiency, and prevent at least hundreds of thousands of
unnecessary deaths and cases of blindness every year.”
- Dr. Alfred Sommer
Professor and Dean Emeritus
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
www.irri.org/goldenrice 16

17. Financial support
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Rockefeller Foundation
• U.S. Agency for International Development
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18. Thank you!
www.irri.org/goldenrice
www.irri.org/goldenrice 18