Environmentalists and farmers’ organisations have heavily criticised the White House’s decision to award a humanitarian prize to the scientists who invented vitamin-enriched “Golden Rice”, describing it as a “hoax”. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced Professor Ingo Potrykus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg in Germany as the winners of the “Patents for Humanity Award“. The scientists invented the genetically modified rice after a decade of research and granted Swiss agro-chemicals company Syngenta the rights to develop the technology. Golden Rice has been genetically modified to provide beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A, one of the essential micro-nutrients. Vitamin A deficiency causes between 2 and 3 million deaths each year, as well as approximately 500,000 cases of blindness among children. The GM rice is being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. Preliminary results were mixed. In 2014, IRRI announced that more research would be needed before Golden Rice can be commercialised due to its very low yield performance compared to local varieties used by farmers. Biodiversity experts Vandana Shiva, laureate of the Right Livelihood Award, described the White House ‘award’ to Golden Rice as a desperate attempt to promote failed GMOs. Shiva commented: “Golden Rice is the Emperor who has no clothes. Since 1985 the promoters have been promising the miracle, but it is still far from introduction. In any case it is hundreds of percent less efficient than biodiversity alternatives in providing Vitamin A. Because the malnutrition crisis is so severe, we cannot waste time and resources on false promises.” Filipino farmer-scientist group MASIPAG believe that GM rice will not solve malnutrition: “Poverty and hunger are the main culprits in malnutrition cases. Therefore to address Vitamin A Deficiency, we should address the lack of resources to ensure that people have access to proper nutrition,” said Dr Chito Medina, National Coordinator at MASIPAG. The organisation has been pushing for agroecology and sustainable agriculture to improve food security in Asia. According to Medina, “Global and international studies such as the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food have recognized agroecology and other farmer innovations as a means to address food security and rural development. Contextually appropriate technologies will better serve the farmers and consumers of developing countries, rather than a potentially harmful technology such as Golden Rice.” (ab)