China’s GM Rice Push, Is it necessary?

In an effort to avert a food crisis as the population grows, China is putting its weight behind transgenic crops. But is the country really ready for genetically modified strains of its staple food crop? An article published by the journal Nature “explores the reasons for China’s unprecedented GM rice push”.

Like other GM initiatives around the world, China’s support for transgenic crops has its share of criticisms, with concerns being raised about the practicality and safety of such a push. However, Huang Dafang, former director of the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing, pointed out that using GM rice is the only way to meet the country’s growing food demand. China's population is set to top 1.45 billion by 2020, and it needs to increase grain production by about 25 percent. "We cannot afford to think too far ahead but must tackle the present issues," Dafang said further.

The article is available to subscribers at http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081015/full/455850a.html#B11 Non subscribers can read the abstract at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/455850a