December 28, 2010

China congress to vote on genetically modified grains law

China's National People's Congress may vote on legislation to govern genetically modified agriculture and food when the body, the country's parliament, convenes in March, Chinese media sources said on Monday (Dec 27).

The government vouched for the safety of a few domestically developed strains of GM rice and corn last year amid ongoing public controversy over the scientific technique.

The proposed law, which may pave the way for mass production of such grains, would cover the scientific development, production, trade and other areas of GM agriculture and food, media sources said.

Lin Min, the biotechnology research director of the state-backed Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that China is one or two years away from commercial production of GM japonica rice and corn.

Media sources said that the congressional agriculture and rural affairs committee had proposed that relevant departments under the State Council, China's cabinet, would work on the legislation.

The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning agency, and the country's State Administration of Grain, were taking the lead in drafting the law, which has been sent to relevant government departments for their views, the report said.