Rapid commercialization of genetically modified organisms
Yu Sangli
Huang Daxuan, a researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences who has been researching transgenic technology for many years, is pleased that the gates of the domestic GM industry have opened. Any move around genetic modification has aroused widespread concern within the entire society, and even an uproar. For a developing country that accounts for 1/4 of the world's population and only 7% of the world's arable land, the temptation of genetic modification is almost impossible to resist.
On March 13, the GM Office of the Ministry of Agriculture stated in its inquiry that the implementation details of China's GM special plan have been completed and are being submitted for approval. This also means that the development and use of GM technology in China is accelerating. "The country's policy orientation on genetic modification is to rely on me as the mainstay, to be independent, to seize the commanding heights of independent intellectual property rights, to be cautious and considerate, and to consider repeatedly to ensure safety and environmental protection."
In July last year, the Standing Committee of the State Council passed the major science and technology project of “cultivation of new varieties of genetically modified organismsâ€. This project, along with projects such as large aircrafts and manned space exploration projects, will become a national long-term and major scientific research project in the next 10 to 15 years. The funds for this special genetic project are sourced from the special funds of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. The proposed investment will be about 24 billion yuan, of which the state will directly invest 12 billion yuan, and the subject undertaking unit will support 12 billion yuan. The main research objects include crops such as rice, corn and cotton.
“Avoiding potential patent 'traps', a sound security risk monitoring mechanism, and finding a suitable commercialization model are some of the key discussion areas for specific implementation regulations that have yet to be introduced.†Huang Dayuan analysis focused on the commercialization of genetically modified products. The chase of commercial profits in production has virtually magnified the intricacies of interest between ministries and commissions, between ministries and companies, between domestic companies and foreign giants, and between government and public welfare organizations. But delaying delays is not a long-term solution.
The fast lane of genetically modified industry
Although the New Deal of the GM industry has brought about a glimpse of the development of the industry, from a variety of arguments, the tone of vocal decline is still many, and the commercialization of the GM industry remains extremely cautious. Even the official attitude is extremely conservative.
When will the commercialization of GM be carried out on a large scale? Zhou Ping, Director of the General Department of the Department of Science and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture, stated that although the commercialization policy of genetically modified products has become more stringent and conservative, the country has always strongly supported the research and development of genetically modified projects. In the next two years, China’s funds for GMO research will reach more than 10 billion yuan. “The Ministry of Agriculture has always standardized the management of genetically modified organisms in a scientific manner. At present, it is in the application phase of security certification, and when it is commercialized, No specific timetable has been set, but China will give a very high status to the research work on genetically modified technology.†According to Zhou Ping, the commercialization of genetically modified organisms involves ecological protection, human health, geopolitics, and international trade.
Cui Yuting, Director of Development Planning Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China stated that China’s current attitude is relatively positive and is also very cautious. Although the State Council has adopted the genetically modified project on a large scale in principle, many details in the middle still need to be supplemented. An official at the Genes Department of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Science and Education, who declined to be named, also stated: “The GM project was only approved in principle on July 9 last year, indicating that the program is basically mature, but it has been a long time away from implementation. The implementation is just a foreseeing, and the argument for commercialization is currently not true, because it is still necessary to legally transform the genetically modified Chinese market. This scheme is a confidential document and cannot be made public at this time."
Although the position of the relevant national staff is very cautious, the policy forces behind it are accelerating. Taking into account the global food crisis and domestic food demand, an important opportunity for the development of the GM industry is that the turning point of the entire industry is emerging.
“We have fewer and fewer resources, desertification and environmental pollution. Biotechnology has brought us hope to solve these problems.†Huang Kunlun, deputy director of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, represented the attitude. Relevant views of most Chinese government officials, experts, and people on genetically modified technology.
In China, affected by the price of production materials, the cost has become a burden that farmers cannot afford, and a large number of fields have been abandoned. With food prices still kept under control, food production should be increased, food prices should be kept stable, and the role of genetically modified crops should not be discounted. Therefore, with regard to the development of the genetically modified industry, the attitude of affirmation and support at the national level is fully revealed.
“China cannot completely refuse genetically modified foods and its national conditions are different.†Professor Huang Ji, director of the Center for Agricultural Policy Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is still full of confidence in the commercialization of genetic modification. “Farmers can reduce input and increase output; companies can make profits; consumers can get goods at low prices.â€
According to his statistics, since the domestic planting of insect-resistant genetically modified cotton, the accumulated benefits have exceeded 5 billion yuan, of which farmers and consumers have benefited 45% respectively, and seed companies and technology development sectors have benefited from about 10%. The GM rice can reduce farmers' use of 80% of pesticides, increase production by 8%, and increase farmers' average income by 600 yuan per hectare. If 90% of China grows genetically modified rice, it will create about 37 billion yuan of welfare per year for the society.
Experts familiar with the field of genetic modification, in addition to technology and security, the most worrying is the market itself, the fact that China's open genetically modified soybeans field, almost the entire soybean industry was dominated by foreign companies, prompting Chinese government officials to take a cautious approach .
Northeast China was originally a golden area for soybeans around the world, but since China's opening of imports of genetically modified soybeans and soy products, it has become the world's largest importer of soybeans and genetically modified soybeans. In 2008, it imported 1/2 of the world's genetically modified soybeans. Experts estimate that more than 70% of soybean salad oil on the table in China belongs to genetically modified foods.
It will be a terrible thing to repeat the mistakes in major grain crops such as rice, corn, and wheat. "Wheat and rice are the staple foods for the national economy and people's livelihood. No country has dared to 'release' these two types of genetically modified foods." Huang Kunlun analyzed. From the current situation, concerns about genetically modified products are mainly focused on Safety, but there is no convincing evidence. Therefore, with the intensification of the global food crisis, China will raise the GM industry to the strategic level of food security, and the development of industrialization of GM technology will be greatly accelerated.
Security suspense
“In the domestic and international debate on genetic modification, the Chinese government’s mind is still calm. This involves the food sources and safety issues of the 1.3 billion people in the future, especially when food safety is so severe.†Xue Dayuan, National Environment Department The chief expert of biodiversity research, from the outset, clearly emphasized risk assessment and risk management, and prudently carried out the commercial production of genetically modified crops. He clearly stated that the responsibility for transgene work must be the responsibility of the main ministries and commissions, and the proposal should be made by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Science and Technology. National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance and other relevant ministries and organizations have organized a special working committee to coordinate the interests of genetically modified projects. “Transgenic research involves several risks, including technical difficulty, public acceptance, patent disputes, and crop genetic safety. These issues are not solved well and will hurt the long-term development of the genetically modified industry.â€
The shortcomings of the government's multi-headed management are reflected in the genetically modified industry. At present, the Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for the technical research and development of genetically modified products, and the responsibility for safety management is mainly in the Ministry of Agriculture, which is responsible for implementing safety assessment approval and labeling applications for genetically modified crops. However, as the food safety authority, the Ministry of Health has issued a “Measures for the Management of Genetically Modified Foods†to manage the labeling of genetically modified products. The safety assessment of genetically modified products also involves the assessment and management of environmental pollution by the Ministry of Environment. The right to import and export genetically modified products is also vested in the Ministry of Commerce. Such a division of labor will inevitably lead to overlapping conflicts of power or lack of status.
Similarly, the safety committee, a think-tank for national GM management, has become a game field. The National Commission for the Safety of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, which is responsible for the issuance of genetically modified safety certificates, bears the major responsibility for evaluating the safety of agricultural genetically modified organisms in China. The agricultural extension of each GM technology must undergo five stages: experimental research, intermediate experiment, environmental release, production test, and application for security certificate. The first two phases are implemented by the safety committee for reporting and management, and the latter three stages. It must be reported to the safety committee for approval. Only the safety committee can pass it unanimously to report to the Ministry of Agriculture for approval.
According to statistics from Greenpeace, biotechnology experts accounted for 61% of the original number of members of the Security Council, which accounted for an absolute majority. Later, in 2006, the elections changed the composition of personnel in large numbers, adding experts in the areas of health and food safety, macroeconomic policies, economic and trade and scientific and technological management, agricultural product quality and safety, inspection and quarantine, testing and standardization. However, the latest time it has regained its original status. Among the current 58 members, two-thirds are genetically modified scientists. There are very few members in environmental protection and food safety, only a few people.
“The composition of the safety committee must be balanced in many areas to enable China to make correct judgments on the basis of scientific and prudent policies on the commercialization of genetically modified organisms. However, the current preliminary gatekeepers clearly have strong interests in their own interests. The process should be openly participated by people from different departments, which can prevent the blocking of approval during the final stage of commercialization. Compared with foreign countries, this interest group now forms a kind of ethos and a kind of rule. Scientific research departments, government departments and enterprises After years of development, the complex interest relationship can be said to be very solid. This is precisely what has affected the slow pace of technological innovation and GM technology research and development in China." The security system does not protect the safe application of technology.
In addition, the re-election of the members of the Security Council has not been subject to open elections. Instead, it has been recommended by various departments and has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture. When the reporter requested the list of safety committees from the Biosafety Management Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, its staff members made it clear that they could not provide them. Greenpeace called on the Chinese government to strengthen transparency and public participation in genetically modified safety management. "Safety approval materials for GM varieties can only be seen by members of the Security Council. In Europe, safety approval materials will be published on government websites. Any citizen can submit their opinions within one month."
The commercialization of genetically modified technology can not be separated from the coordination of genetic engineering and safety management. However, the current research and management of genetic safety is far behind the development of technology. Xue Dayuan expressed deep concern about the safety of China's genetically modified technology.
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