Developing countries that do not adapt quickly to new developments in genetic modification technology face missing out on potentially huge health benefits, a report published by the World Health Organization says. The report argues that genetically modified foods can help to combat hunger and malnutrition in the developing world but that market forces mean that developing countries are in danger of missing out on the benefits.

A new type of rice, known as golden rice, is one of the crops that the authors say has great potential. The rice, currently only at the development stage, …