MANILA, APRIL 19, 2011 (STANDARD) THE International Rice Research Institute on Sunday confirmed it will receive $10.3 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop Golden Rice, a genetically modified strain of rice containing beta carotene that the body converts to vitamin A.
The grant will help the institute and its partners, including the national rice institutes of Bangladesh and the Philippines and Helen Keller International, develop and evaluate Golden Rice as a tool to reduce vitamin A deficiency, the leading cause of preventable blindness in children, spokeswoman Sophie Clayton said.
About 670,000 children die every year and another 350,000 go blind because they are vitamin A–deficient.
"IRRI and its partners have been working on Golden Rice for about 10 years to develop a safe and effective way to address vitamin A deficiency, prevent blindness, and save lives," said Gerard Barry, Golden Rice Network coordinator and the institute's Golden Rice project leader.
"Our latest stage of work is now supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and will bring in HKI—a new partner from the nutrition sector—to further understand how well Golden Rice can reduce vitamin A deficiency."
Research show that a daily consumption of about a cup of Golden Rice (about 150 grams, uncooked) could supply 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for an adult.
The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and the Philippine Rice Research Institute have been working with IRRI on Golden Rice for several years.
Golden Rice is expected to cost farmers about the same as other rice varieties, and they will be able to save seeds for replanting.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
