Protestors in the Philippines destroyed a trial plot of "Golden Rice," a strain developed to combat vitamin A deficiency. The crop was a few weeks away from being submitted to authorities for safety evaluation, but a group of roughly 400 local farmers and protestors attacked the field and uprooted all the plants. The rice, which has been given extra genes that turn on the plant's ability to produce beta carotene, first entered development 20 years ago with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. The protestors, members of a group called Sikwal-Gmo, said they attacked the field because they believe genetic modification is not the solution to the nation's malnutrition, and that they were concerned the trial was a danger to human health and biodiversity. Scientists working on the crop said that it was a major setback, but that this is just one of several sites. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals rejected a trial crop of eggplant on the grounds that it violated the rights of Filipinos to health and balanced ecology. For the full story, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23632042.