In 2000, the first two GM rice varieties both with herbicide-resistance, called LLRice60 and LLRice62, were approved in the United States. Later, these and other types of herbicide-resistant GM rice were approved in Canada, Australia, Mexico and Colombia. However, none of these approvals triggered commercialization.<ref>[http://cera{{cite journal |last1=Fraiture |first1=M.-gmcA.org/index |last2=Roosens |first2=N.php?action |last3=gm_crop_database&modeTaverniers |first3=ShowProd&dataI. |last4=LLRICE06%2C+LLRICE62De GMLoose Crop|first4=M. Database|last5=Deforce of|first5=D. the|last6=Herman Center|first6=P. for|date=June Environmental2016 Risk|title=Biotech Assessment],rice: (LLRICE06,Current LLRICE62)developments and future detection challenges in food and feed chain |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224415302028 |journal=Trends in Food Science & Technology |volume=52 |pages=66-79 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2016.03.011 |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> [[Reuters]] reported in 2009 that China had granted biosafety approval to GM rice with pest resistance,<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/11/27/idUSPEK37812 China gives safety approval to GMO rice], Reuters, 27 November 2009.</ref> but that strain was not commercialized. As of December 2012 GM rice was not widely available for production or consumption.<ref name="RiceToday-GMrice">[http://irri.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=12438&lang=en The state of play: genetically modified rice], Rice Today, Jan-Mar 2012.</ref> Advocates claim that since rice is a staple crop across the world, improvements have potential to alleviate hunger, malnutrition and poverty.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Demont | first1 = M. | last2 = Stein | first2 = A. J. | title = Global value of GM rice: A review of expected agronomic and consumer benefits | doi = 10.1016/j.nbt.2013.04.004 | journal = New Biotechnology | year = 2013 | pmid = 23628812| volume=30 | issue = 5 | pages=426–436}}</ref>
In 2018, Canada and the United States approved genetically modified [[golden rice]] for cultivation, with [[Health Canada]] and the US [[Food and Drug Administration]] declaring it safe for consumption.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23831802-500-gm-golden-rice-gets-approval-from-food-regulators-in-the-us/|title=GM golden rice gets approval from food regulators in the US|last=Coghlan|first=Andy|date=May 30, 2018|work=New Scientist|access-date=2018-06-07|language=en-US}}</ref>
