Biotechnology
Biotechnology binds cellular and bio molecular processes that develop technologies and products that help improves the health of our planet and our lives. Modern biotechnology provides products and technologies to combat debilitating diseases and cure diseases, feed the hungry, reduce environmental footprint, use less and cleaner energy and help to have a safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes. Millions of farmers around the world use agricultural biotechnology to increase yields, to prevent damage from insects and pests and reduce impact on the environment.
Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of an organism’s genome using biotechnology. (Margaret Rouse, May 2007)
Golden Rice
Golden
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Golden Rice has never been tested on animals which are a huge red flag as it is therefore criminally irresponsible to test it on humans at all. Only once the Golden Rice is tested on animals and there are no harmful effects, then can the product be tested on humans (Coliherr 2011:2; Pryor & Mackenzie 2014:2).
Golden Rice is made to overproduce beta carotene. There are retinoids in the beta carotene that are toxic and this can cause birth defects. Feeding adults and children beta- carotene enriched foods could cause an overdose intake of vitamin A which could thus lead to Hypervitaminosis. The effects of Hypervitaminosis are: birth defects, liver abnormalities and reduced bone density that could lead to Osteoporosis (Coliherr 2011:2).
The environmental factors that one should be concerned about are that in the poorer communities and developing nations this grain is being planted as the main source of vitamin A. This will lead to there being a very poor biodiversity. Depending on a multiple of vitamin A substances is not healthy as Vitamin A is fat soluble, one will need fat and protein in their diet to be able to intake the vitamin A. In the poor communities and developing nations, there is no protein and fats available or affordable. This can cause the concern of whether the Golden rice will provide the health benefits that it was created for (Coliherr 2011:2; Riley