Compared to other methods of enhancing food nutrition, Golden Rice is more cost effective in delivering Vitamin A to intended beneficiaries.  This was highlighted in the seminar entitled "Golden Rice: What role could it play in alleviating Vitamin A deficiency?" by Dr. David Dawe, an economist of the Social Sciences Division at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baņos, Philippines.  

The seminar was the second in a series about Golden Rice and was held last May 2 in IRRI. Dawe made a comparative economic analysis between Vitamin A fortified wheat flour and Golden Rice (GR).  He concluded that if GR is more widely adopted, it becomes cheaper than alternative interventions in combating Vitamin A deficiency.  He added, however, that GR should be viewed as a complement to existing interventions such as fortification and supplementation. Vitamin A deficiency, which causes deterioration in the immune system and blindness, remains a major public health problem worldwide, more particularly in developing countries.