The political economy of China's GMO commercialization dilemma

China has been investing heavily in agricultural biotechnology. Despite GM varieties being approved, commercialization has not been authorized. The politics of GMOs in China is examined. AbstractWhy has China delayed commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops over the last decade given its heavy public R&D investment in biotechnology and maturing GM capacity? Further, imports of GM products for consumption are allowed while similar domestic GM-crops cannot be commercialized. The paper analyzes, from a political economy perspective, how the delay of commercialization arises from the government balancing interests and conflicts among vested interests to keep social stability based on comprehensive secondary data and unique primary survey data. Anti-GMO activists have, over time, been able to shape the public perception of biotechnology. Their efforts have garnered widespread acceptance among interest groups and have been sufficient to raise the specter of underlying social instability, which is always near the top of mind for China's government. As a result, no movement on commercialization has been made since 2010 —more than a decade ago. The failure to commercialize is important because food production would increase considerably if China were able to commercialize GM crops and the resolution of the biotechnology issue has broad implications for food security.

Source: Food and Energy Security - July 8, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Zhihua Xiao, William A. Kerr Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research