Genetically modified GM food

Until recently I was quite against messing with genes. I visualised awful things happening.
But - I met - a potato man. No not the toy. He was a world expert in the genetics of potatoes. A quiet unassuming man until he started on his subject and then - wow.
It is always wonderful to meet someone highly intelligent, interested and passionate about their subject.

After a bit I pinned him down on genetics
"Was all this messing around with the genes of plants a good thing - was it safe?" I asked
His answer was quite categorical
"It was a good thing and it was quite safe" he said
and went on
"There are many safe guards that would make it impossible for anyone to do anything that was risky or unsafe"
"Even the giant multinationals?" I asked
"Even them" he said
I told him that I had heard stories of big companies making modified seeds for crops that would then tie farmers into using only specific  weedkillers made by the same company. He said that was all untrue and would not be possible with the present safeguards.
He totally convinced me with expert knowledge, science and fact.
These are things that are very hard to come by.
I then read a sad and terrible and scandelous story
Two scientists - Potrykus and Beyer decided to do something to help the malnourished people of the world
Without any pay or personal gain, they slightly altered the genes in rice so that it contained extra vitamin A and then persuaded companies to waive their patents so they could give the rice seeds away free - a purely humanitarian and wonderful act.
Millions of people in the third world suffer and die from lack of Vitamin A and this golden rice would save them.
All that was needed was for governments and the anti-brigade to accept and do it.
And there it has stuck - for 10 years.
Organisations like Greenpeace are quite blinkered on this issue and will not even look at it.
It is estimated that 20 million children have died in the meantime through Vitamin A Deficiency.
The WHO estimates that 170 million to 230 million children and 20 million pregnant women are vitamin A deficient and, as it weakens the immune system, that 1.9 million to 2.7 million will die of it each year -
That is more than from  - Aids and TB and Malaria.
Come on Greenpeace - take the blinkers off -  look at this properly - accept it  - and get it done.