For poor people whose diet is composed largely of rice – a carbohydrate-rich but vitamin-poor source of calories – “biofortified” strains are invaluable. In developing countries, 200-300 million preschool children are at risk of vitamin A deficiency, which compromises immune systems, increasing the body’s susceptibility to illnesses like measles and diarrheal diseases.
大米富含碳水化合物，但缺少维生素，对于以之为主食的穷人来说，“生物强化”稻种可谓无价之宝。在发展中国家，有两到三亿儿童存在缺乏维生素A的危险，而维生素A是免疫系统的组成部分，缺少它会导致身体容易感染麻疹和腹泻等疾病。每年维生素A缺乏症都要导致大约五十万儿童失明，其中70%会在一年内死去。