How could Golden Rice lead to a reduction in biodiversity?

surely it would do the opposite? It's a creation of a new species of rice.

But you need spaces for it to happen and where do you get that space?
Habitats
And by breaking habitats you reduce the survival chance of animals

even in the poor areas of Africa/south east Asia?

yep if there's habitats and animals there it doesnt matter how rich or poor they are

there isn't, that's why there is starvation. I thought it would be to do with the GM crop cross-breeding with other rice species. but the book has that as two separate points.

But you need spaces for it to happen and where do you get that space?
Habitats
And by breaking habitats you reduce the survival chance of animals

If the genetically engineered gene in golden rice gets into wild rice populations (through cross-breeding) this can reduce biodiversity. This can apply to all GM crops.

what's golden rice?

don't tell me it's golden

In 2012 the World Health Organization reported that about 250 million preschool children are affected by VAD, and that providing those children with vitamin A could prevent about a third of all under-five deaths, which amounts to up to 2.7 million children that could be saved from dying unnecessarily.

If the genetically engineered gene in golden rice gets into wild rice populations (through cross-breeding) this can reduce biodiversity. This can apply to all GM crops.

Well they are going to grow the rice anyway. The argument is shall we augment the rice we grow with Vitamin A so that it saves children from dying due to Vitamin A deficiency? If anything GM is more efficient than conventional technology and thus if it's accepted there will be less pressure on land use.



Sorry, but that's fundamentally incorrect. It's just another gene in a vast genome, how is it going to reduce biodiversity if another strain of rice has another gene in it? That's like saying all cross-breeding ever reduces biodiversity which is actually the opposite of what cross-breeding does. Also inbreeding is bad for biodiversity and for evolution- Have you not heard of inbreeding depression?

A couple of other things on the subject of biodiversity.

1. As I said above, GM technology = more efficient = less land space required = more land free for 'biodiversity'

2. GM technology can prevent use of pesticides and fertilisers = less harm to local ecosystems/less eutrophication = increased biodiversity




Golden Rice is a rice variety which has been genetically engineered to synthesise beta-carotene which is a precursor of Vitamin A. In the parts of the world where golden rice is grown a lot of kids, especially under 5, die due to Vitamin A deficiency because their limited diets are not sufficient. As rice is a staple in their diet, if the rice synthesises the Vit A precursor then they will get their RDA through the rice and it will save a lot of lives.

Infact here is a quote from a site about the life-saving Golden Rice could do:



From this website: http://www.goldenrice.org/Content3-Why/why1_vad.php


^^^ I wrote on my blog about GM technology btw, and why the pseudo-science surrounding the topic is ridiculous and regressive.

I will link the posts here:

Disparity in Genetically Modified food regulations across the world

Why Greenpeace et al oppose Genetically Modified food

That's why I'm confused. In arguments against golden rice, my book puts reduction of biodiversity and cross breeding as two separate points.

Sorry, I think you're right and I didn't really understand it either; it's just what I read on a mark scheme somewhere, unless I misinterpreted it

Nooo it's fine! I didn't mean to sound like condescending or anything.

Tbf what mark scheme was it ? A Level?

There is a lot of misunderstanding in GM technology and I didn't really understand any of it until I Was in the final year of my biology degree.