In particular, people with Vitamin A deficiency are at high risk for developing poor night vision, severe eye lesions, and permanent blindness. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Vitamin A is necessary for "building and maintaining healthy tissues throughout the body, particularly eyes, skin, bones and tissues of the respiratory and digestive tracts, and for effective functioning of the immune system."

The most obvious way to prevent Vitamin A deficiency and subsequent blindness is to increase one's dietary intake of Vitamin A. Foods of animal origin (including milk, liver, and eggs) and dark colored fruits and vegetables (including potatoes and mangoes) contain sufficient amounts of Vitamin A. Unfortunately, people in highly populated areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America do not have access to foods rich in Vitamin A. Their diet consists primarily of rice, which naturally lacks this vitamin.

One proposed solution is to genetically engineer rice to contain carotenoid, the precursor of Vitamin A. This genetically engineered rice is referred to as "golden rice" because of its yellowish color. In 2001 two biotechnology research and development companies, Greenovation and Syngenta, were willing to offer the genetically modified rice to small-scale farmers in developing countries free of charge and limitations for humanitarian purposes. Because rice is already a staple in developing countries, golden rice would allow people in such areas to obtain sufficient amounts of Vitamin A to prevent night blindness. Additionally, farmers in these countries will be provided with golden rice to grow in their own fields, which might encourage a movement toward a self-sustaining, carotenoid-rich food crop.
 

Terraced rice fields.