An international development organization, in response to a vitamin A deficiency among people in the impoverished nation of Tagus, has engineered a new breed of millet high in vitamin A. While seeds for this new type of millet cost more, farmers will be p

While the development organizations efforts are laudable, the organization appears to be pushing only one agenda. The question needs to be asked: what other alternatives to engineered breeds of millet high in vitamin A exist? There needs to be a survey of other interventions. Their relative merits can then be evaluated via a pilot, and engineered millet must prove relatively successful before one can honestly state that the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result.

Additionally, one needs to ask, what risks exist in using engineered breeds? Are there any health risks to humans consuming this type of seed? Will the public respond well to such a programme? Around the world, engineered seeds tend to spark a backlash amongst activist groups. Is it possible that such a backlash will ultimately lead to rejection of the engineered millet thus defeating the predicted result?

Another question that needs asking is how far will the intervention go in solving the vitamin A deficit? We are informed that the engineered millet is high in vitamin A. Though millet might be a staple food, will the cooking process used in Tagus allow for the preservation of the vitamin A after cooking and transmission to humans?

The argument states the government should do "everything it can to promote this new type of millet". This is particularly vague. Governments have been known to employ extrajudicial means in furthering agendas. If these are required, I tender the argument that extrajudicially silencing individuals is worse than a vitamin A deficiency.

In closing, what are the alternatives to engineered millet? A pilot study in which engineered millet is relatively successful would lend credence to the recommendation. There also exist social issues that need to considered. Can engineered millet beat back the backlash that usually follows the introduction of engineered seeds into new environments without resorting to extrajudicial means? Finally, does the engineered millet provide sufficient vitamin A after undergoing local cooking processes? If all these questions are in the affirmative, the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result.