Could genetically modified (GM) crops ensure China’s food security, or will public scepticism derail the effort?
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On December 31, China took another step towards commercialising GM crops by approving 12 more types of GM soybeans, corn and cotton. Following years of testing, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs granted safety certificates for these varieties. These approvals add to the list of at least 64 varieties of GM corn and 17 varieties of GM soybeans that have received the green light since 2023.
China’s urgent need to ensure long-term food security amid global uncertainties includes efforts to increase domestic production of corn and soybeans, two key agricultural staples. The aim is to boost high-yield crops while reducing the country’s dependence on food imports amid an increasingly complex and fractured geopolitical environment.
In 2023, China imported 99.4 million tonnes of soybeans, with 70 per cent imported from Brazil and 24 per cent from the United States. China also imported more than 27 million tonnes of corn, a 31.6 per cent year-on-year increase, of which 47 per cent came from Brazil, with the US in second place. China mostly imports GM crops for animal feed, while non-GM varieties are intended for human consumption.
Although plans to commercialise GM crops remain implicit at present, they align with China’s broader food security strategy. China’s leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have publicly emphasised the importance of safeguarding food security. Xi also famously declared that the rice bowls of China’s 1.4 billion people would always be firmly held in their own hands.
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But China’s food security has worsened in recent decades. Once a net food exporter, China became a net importer in 2004. The widening import-export gap raises concerns about reliance on global markets, leaving China vulnerable to export bans and price fluctuations.