Reports from the Reuters news agency that China, the world's largest producer and consumer of rice, has issued a biosafety certificate for a locally-developed strain of genetically-modified rice that would pave the for large-scale production in 2 to 3 years, are a cause for grave concern..
However, it is not as simple nor as complete as the Reuters report implies. Approval for the Bt-63 strain of GE rice has only been given by the Chinese Biosafety Committee. This means it would still need a crucial approval from the Ministry of Agriculture.
There is a precedent that shows us full cultivation can still be avoided. In 2004, a similar certificate was issued for GE rice but Greenpeace China together with other stakeholders successfully blocked its commercialization.
We are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to safeguard the interest of over 20 percent of the world’s population from this dangerous genetic experiment.
Growing approximately 59.5 million tonnes annually, China is the world’ biggest rice producer. The vast majority of the rice is consumed domestically, only 600,000 tonnes are exported. Genetically engineered food endangers health, environment and food security and exports of GE rice would likely be met with scrutiny abroad as the Bt-63 strain is not authorised in the EU or any other country.
For the farmers of China rice is more than just food- it is their livelihood and the very basis of their culture.
"The commercialization of GE rice puts China’s food security in danger since most of the GE rice patents are controlled by foreign companies such as Monsanto," warned Lorena Luo, GP China’s Food and Agriculture campaigner.
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