The development of Golden Rice to date has taken longer than anticipated.It has been proven to have the potential to assist in the alleviation of an important public health problem,vitamin A deficiency,affecting millions.Complying with the highly precautionary,and now proven unnecessary,UN Cartagena Protocol for Biosafety has impeded scientific progress and scientific collaboration,particularly by delaying the selection of phenotypes grown in the open field.So far therefore,Golden Rice has not been able to assist in combatting vitamin A deficiency,identified by the UN as an important public health target for 25 years,and which continues to cause preventable deaths and blindness.However,the inventor’s original vision of the donation of the technology to assist the resource poor who want to benefit from it remains firm and achievable,subject to continuing philanthropic and public sector funding.