August 24, 2010

 

China urged to venture into GM crops

China needs to step up agricultural innovation, including development of its own GM varieties, in response to climate change and to reduce reliance on foreign technologies, top agricultural experts and scientists said last week.

 

GM crops can provide solutions to various problems facing the ecosystem such as limited land and water resources, they said.

 

"Making technical preparations for transgenic technology is very necessary for China," said Zhai Huqu, president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

 

However, the government has yet to approve use of the technology, he added.

 

Last year, China issued bio-safety certificates to two strains of pest-resistant GM rice and corn. The strains still need about three to five years of registration and production trials before commercialisation.

 

China has been a net importer of soy since the mid-1990s. Imported soy from the US and Argentina are mainly genetically modified.

 

China consumes about 10 million tonnes of soyoil and about 40 million tonnes of soymeal per year in processed food and animal feedstuff. More than 80% of the total is imported GM soyoil or made from imported GM soy, industry analysts said.

 

Nonetheless, approval has not been given for the import of GM crop seeds.

 

International companies such as Monsanto, which have already sold seeds of GM cotton and conventional crops in China, have started exploring the potential GM market in China.

 

The company set up a research and development centre in China last December and carried out joint research with several Chinese institutes to find out the best products that suit China's soil type, climate and environmental conditions.

 

With more foreign companies including Monsanto having developed crops with high drought tolerance, Chinese agricultural research institutes should catch up and develop their own anti-drought crops to reduce possible reliance on foreign technologies, scientists said.

 

"Currently we only deal with disasters such as droughts or floods passively when they occur, which isn't a long-term solution," said Wang Ren, director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

 

As climate change is bringing more uncertainties, it is urgent for China to move quickly to develop its own anti-drought varieties, both conventional and GM products, he said.

 

To ensure China's food security, the key is to enhance its agricultural technology level in all aspects, Wang added.

 

While scientists should provide statistics and reports about any impact on health and the environment from the use of GM technology, it is ultimately the farmers and consumers who make the final decision whether or not to plant or consume GM food, experts said.