Report Shows Costs of Chinese Delays on Biotech Crop Approvals

In recent years, China has taken considerably longer time to commercialize GM crop events compared to other countries. Thus, CropLife International commissioned Informa to analyze the agricultural and economic impacts of delays in Chinese approvals.

The report, The Impact of Delays in Chinese Approvals of Biotech Crops, quantifies the significant economic impact due to the delayed availability of new biotech products for farmers in major biotechnology cultivation countries, including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and China. According to the report, timely approvals of biotech imports benefit both exporters and importers. Aside from the economic gains for the exporters, there are also indirect benefits such as growth in the agricultural and ancillary industries. Farmers benefit from adopting GM seeds that produce more yield with less input and can better adapt to climate change conditions. On the other hand, importers benefit from the timely approvals by having more and diversified availability of food/feed crops, which leads to a safe and stable food supply, improved consumer choice, and lower food prices in some areas.

Download a copy of the report from CropLife.