Nobel laureates across the world are requesting non-government environment organisation Greenpeace not to oppose genetically modified organisms or GMOs. Chief Scientific Officer of New England Biolabs, Richard Roberts, and Phillip Sharp, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physiology, have started a signature campaign, supporting the introduction of foods that have been improved through biotechnology, particularly Golden Rice, reported The Washington Post.

The campaign has already garnered the support of 107 Nobel laureates. The list of signatories also included the name of Paul Berg, a pioneer in the field of genetic engineering, Forbes reported.

According to the campaigners, this genetically engineered strain of rice could reduce Vitamin A deficiencies that cause blindness in children in developing nations. "We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology, recognise the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against GMOs in general and Golden Rice in particular," states the letter.

On their website, supportprecisionagriculture.org, the scientists cite World Health Organisation statistics that say around 50 million people suffer from Vitamin A deficiency worldwide. This includes at least 40% of children below the age of five. “We’re scientists. We understand the logic of science. It's easy to see what Greenpeace is doing is damaging and is anti-science," Roberts told The Washington Post.