Economic feasibility of genetically modified zinc-fortified rice

To deliver the targeted EAR (estimated average requirement) via staple crops, genetically modified (GM) and genome-edited technology are currently at the forefront. The recent advancement of GM zinc (Zn) rice shows promising results—several experimental trials reveal that the GM Zn-fortified rice is technically feasible and achieves the targeted EAR. However, it is crucial to investigate whether the technology is economically viable. This book chapter quantifies the benefits and costs of GM Zn-fortified rice. Precisely, we estimate the cost of developing and adopting GM Zn-fortified rice and its health benefits among Filipino children under 5 years of age. The results show that it will cost the Philippines approximately USD 10.0 million (in 2020 price) to develop and deploy GM Zn-fortified rice over a 30-year period, and it will help avert 74,003 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). In other words, the cost per DALYs averted associated with GM Zn-fortified rice to be around USD 134. We also find that GM Zn-fortified rice can help save about USD 286.4 million in direct medical costs and productivity losses over the next 30 years, yielding a social benefit of USD 29.0 from a one-dollar investment. Therefore, GM Zn-fortified rice is an economically feasible alternative to help fighting hidden hunger in the Philippines. We suggest building institutional capacity, educating consumers about the benefits of Zn-rice, and incentivizing farmers to scale-out Zn-rice in the Philippines to improve the odds of commercializing GM Zn-fortified rice in the near future.