China has approved the safety of gene-edited wheat for the first time, as Beijing takes cautious steps towards commercializing genetically modified food crops.
To ensure food security, China has increased approvals of genetically modified (GM) maize and soybean seeds that are higher-yielding and resistant to insects and herbicides in the last year, but uptake has been slow and cautious due to concerns about the impact on health and the environment.
Unlike genetic modification, which introduces foreign genes into a plant, gene editing modifies existing genes to change or improve their performance and is considered less risky by some scientists.
GM Crops
China primarily imports GM crops, such as maize and soybeans, for animal feed while growing non-GM varieties for human consumption. Many Chinese consumers remain concerned about the safety of genetically modified food crops.
Disease-resistant Wheat
The approval of gene-edited disease-resistant wheat is regarded as a watershed moment, as the ingredient – used to make pasta, noodles, and bread – is primarily grown in China for human consumption. China is the world’s biggest wheat producer and consumer.
“It is a big step, and we can see the light for China to open up approvals for other food crops,” said a seed industry executive.
Beijing is also expected to pass new rules for labelling genetically modified crops used in food products this year, according to state media in March.
On Wednesday, the agriculture ministry approved a new genetically modified maize variety with herbicide and insect resistance, as well as a higher yielding gene-edited maize variety.
Origin Agritech variety
The GM maize approval includes an Origin Agritech variety. The safety certificates have been approved for five years beginning May 5, according to a document published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Largest buyer of Soybeans
The world’s largest buyer of soybeans and maize wants to increase domestic production with higher yielding seeds and reduce its grain imports by more than 100 million metric tonnes per year.
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