Hebei, Jilin, Sichuan, Yunnan and Inner Mongolia will play a role in expanding a trial of genetically modified (GM) corn and soybeans amid China’s increased focus on food security.
China will expand a trial of genetically modified (GM) corn and soybeans to 20 counties across five provinces, with food security increasingly becoming a top priority for Beijing.
Hebei, Jilin, Sichuan, Yunnan and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region will play a role in expanding a trial that started with testing soybean fields in 2021 before being expanded to farms in Inner Mongolia and Yunnan the following year.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will also arrange GM seed production in the northwestern Gansu province this year, it said on Thursday.
“Agricultural GM technology has played an irreplaceable role in increasing crop yields, reducing losses from pests, diseases and weeds, and reducing the use of chemical pesticides and saving labour costs,” the ministry said.
The coronavirus pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine conflict, as well as ongoing international tensions, have raised food security concerns in China, which is the world’s largest consumer of food.
GM corn and soybean showed a very high resistance against grassland pests and weeds, increasing yields by 5.6 to 11.6 per cent, the ministry added.
The ministry cited numerous examples to urge residents to dispel their doubts and refuted long-standing rumours that GM food may cause cancer and infertility.
