China’s congress may vote on biotech ag

Date:01-06-2011

When China’s main legislative body meets in March, one of the issues on the docket will be genetically modified foods.

According to wire reports, the People’s Congress of China will consider legislation covering the import and export of biotech food as well as production development and research on biotech grains.

China is already the world’s largest producer of biotech cotton, but has been slower to accept GMO food.  Last year, the country’s ag ministry gave its first safety approval for biotech lines of rice and corn, which could pave the way for large scale production in the next three years.  But there’s controversy about those approvals and whether a biotech strain of rice—the staple food for China—is safe.