China became the first country to allow GM technology of major grains in November 2009, when two varieties of GM rice and one of GM corn were approved. photo: CFP

 
Prior to officials from the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau in Heilongjiang's provincial capital Harbin seizing and destroying 21 boxes of genetically modified (GM) corn seeds on May 18, few people in China were aware such food could be illegally imported into the country.

The boxes, which in total weighed 115 kilograms, were imported by two seed suppliers in Harbin from US companies. The names of all companies involved in the operation were not disclosed.

Quarantine officials responsible for the bust were not available for comment, while local seed suppliers denied knowledge of the seizure when contacted by the Global Times.

Under Chinese law, seeds entering China require certification from both importers and exporters that companies can attain by filing applications to related authorities. The GM corn seeds seized in May lacked any certification.

Unnamed quarantine officials told Chinese media after the bust that the seeds were destroyed because they threatened the local ecosystem. But there are wider concerns from the public about the threat GM foods pose to human health.

Jiang Gaoming, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Botany, described the seizure as "delightful news for researchers of GM grains."

"The news itself reflects the transparency of China's GM regulations, and will be helpful in letting the public know about the impact of GM grains and products," Jiang told the Global Times.

Jiang noted the Harbin bust could lead to tougher GM regulations in the country amid growing concern among experts about the risks posed by biotech foods.

Safety controversy

The thorniest issue in China's GM debate surrounds safety, with the scientific community divided over whether the country should expand its 4 million hectares of domestic GM crops or scale back biotech farming and imports.

But while scientists are at odds, Chinese consumers remain overwhelmingly wary of GM foods.

"Our customers come to the field to see how grains are growing and check certificates of seeds that we jointly develop with a local agriculture university. They are doing their best to ensure that our products are healthy and not genetically modified," a general manager, surnamed Wang, at an organic grain farm in Lingbi county, Anhui Province, told the Global Times.

"GM seeds are certainly more productive, but their safety is hotly debated. Consumers who are savvy about leading a healthy lifestyle and don't mind spending a little more are saying no to GM products, but we are trying to increase awareness about the importance of healthy [organic] food," Wang said.

In a landmark decision in November 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture issued production safety certificates for two varieties of GM rice and one of GM corn.

The move, which reignited debate about the safety of GM foods and their impact on the environment, made China the first country to allow GM technology of major grains, said Zhang Qifa, director of the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement at Huazhong Agriculture University in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and a GM rice certificate holder.

In its latest move, the Ministry of Agriculture approved three varieties of GM soybeans to be imported as processing materials on Thursday. The government's decision to import some GM grains to China has been met by an online backlash from Web users, who commonly say they refuse to be "guinea pigs" in trials of GM products by circulating anti-GM articles and videos.

Fang Zhouzi, an anti-fraud crusader and expert in chemical biology, welcomed the government's push to increase GM food production, writing a blog entry that dismissed concerns about its safety.

However, scientific studies revealing dangers of GM foods continue to sow seeds of doubt among consumers. A French study released in September 2012 proved that rats fed a lifelong diet of one of the best-selling strains of GM corn owned by US GM seeds giant Monsanto suffered from tumors as well as liver and kidney damage.

Such findings increase apprehension in China about importing biotech foods.

"GM grains definitely pose a danger to the ecosystem. Glyphosate (herbicide used to kill weeds) is proven to be harmful to the reproductive system. If GM grains are plagued by more evolved pests, more herbicides will be needed. Currently, it's uncertain how many herbicides of this kind have flooded our food chain," Jiang said.

But GM food advocate groups contest such claims, with the non-profit International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) arguing expansion of GM grains between 1996 and 2006 prevented 224,000 tons of pesticides from being sprayed on crops globally.


Consumers in the dark

As China strives to improve its tarnished food safety record, experts are particularly concerned about excessive GM grains entering the country.

"Companies with GM technology, such as Monsanto, would prefer for the GM debate to stretch on rather than come to a swift conclusion. Under such circumstances, more GM products will flood China," Jiang said.

China imported 5,838 tons of soybeans in 2012, most of which were GM varieties from the US, Argentina and Brazil. In the short term, China will continue importing GM grains to ensure food security, according to Chen Xiwen, director of the Rural Economy Research Department of the State Council and vice president of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Chen made the remarks during the country's legislative and advisory two sessions in March 2013, noting that imported soybeans account for almost five times the amount of domestic production.

Imported soybeans are used for two main purposes: cooking oil production and livestock feed.

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture announced on June 10 that China had given the green light for three varieties of GM soybeans, including the pest-resistant Intacta RR2 PRO, after a meeting of Chinese and Brazilian agriculture ministers in Beijing on June 11.

Currently, only papayas, tomatoes and bell peppers have received clearance for commercial GM production in China. Although GM rice production is illegal, the Bt63 strain developed by Zhang has circulated in China since 2005, business magazine Caixin reported in February.

Tasked with feeding the world's largest population, agricultural authorities regard China's food security as delicate despite grain production increases being posted for nine consecutive years.

The pivot to a GM-driven food economy overseas continues to build momentum among developing nations, which planted 52 percent of global GM crops in 2012, up from 50 percent a year earlier and above the 48 percent industrial countries grew last year, according to a report released in February by ISAAA.

The report found China grew 4 million hectares of GM cotton at an adoption rate of 80 percent, but neglected to mention GM staple grains.

"It is becoming widespread practice to use GM technology secretly. The worse thing is that the Chinese public has no knowledge of how much of their food is genetically modified. Without this knowledge, they have no right or option to choose," Jiang said.

A 2005 Greenpeace report found GM rice crops are common in Hubei and Guangdong provinces, while research by the environment group in 2012 revealed that 7.9 percent of rice and soybean products in Beijing and seven provinces tested positive for modified genes, according to Yu Jiangli, team leader of Greenpeace's East Asia Food and Agriculture Campaign.

Advancing regulations

On February 21, 2012, the government signaled its concern over bio-engineered corn and rice by drafting the country's first-ever "Grains Law" outlawing production of GM staple foods.

"Neither group nor individual may apply genetically-modified technologies to staple foods," the draft read, indicating though not specifically naming rice, corn and wheat.

Jiang noted the biggest problem surrounding GM foods in China is the "alarming lack of law enforcement."

"Laws and regulations have shown improvement in regards to GM technology, but there's no clear accordance or standards to show how to control GM products," Jiang said.

The Supervision and Testing Center for GM Foods under the Ministry of Agriculture clarified in 2012 that China had neither allowed GM technology to be adopted in staple grains' commercial planting in the country, nor allowed GM seeds imported from other countries to be planted.

Evidence of stricter control over GM grains has emerged in Northeast China's Jilin Province, an important national base of grains, where rice and corn is routinely inspected to ensure GM varieties do not enter the market, according to Jilin agriculture authorities.

Other parts of the country have followed suit with similar campaigns, but transparency remains a key issue, according to Tong Pingya, a leading expert on GM technology at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

"These moves are agricultural authorities' reaction to increasing questions about GM organisms and the global anti-GM trend. Authorities should act on the safety concerns held by the Chinese public, instead of protecting commercial profits yielded by GM crops," Zheng Fengtian, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, told the Global Times.

Zheng said that the Ministry of Agriculture's push for commercialization of GM rice over the last few years had resulted in increasing pressure and questions from the public about the safety and appropriateness of such a transition.

"More research needs to be conducted on GM organisms before putting such products on the market. With more attention from the public and media, greater policy control will be seen in the future," Zheng noted.