107 Nobel laureates in a letter to Greenpeace called for support of genetically modified organisms, according to the Washington Post. In particular, the scientists insist that Greenpeace stop hindering the spread of rice under the brand name Golden Rice - a genetically modified strain containing beta-carotene (which gives it its yellow color). This makes it a potentially useful tool for combating vitamin A deficiency, which (deficiency) remains one of the leading causes of blindness, illness and death in children in developing countries.
The letter says, in particular:
"We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to reconsider the experiences of farmers and consumers around the world with biotech-enhanced crops and products, recognize research from authoritative scientific and regulatory bodies, and abandon their campaign against GMOs in general and golden rice in particular."
In response, Greenpeace, represented by Wilhelmina Pelegrina, replied:
“The accusations that someone is blocking the genetically modified golden rice are false. "Golden" rice has not done well as a "solution" and is currently not available commercially even after 20 years of research. As recognized by the International Rice Research Institute, this variety does not really solve the problem of vitamin A deficiency. So it should be clear that we are talking about something that does not even exist."
Of course, her answer was not about the scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs. Greenpeace's campaign against genetic modification is reminiscent of the organization's campaign against nuclear energy, which eventually cooled the intensity of nuclear research and development in the United States. This forced us to rely more on coal-fired power plants, which is not very good in terms of environmental protection.