A recent study by CAS researchers provides evidence that there are
positive impacts of the insect-resistant genetically modified (GM) rice
on productivity and farmer health.
In cooperation with US scientists, Prof. Huang Jikun and colleagues
from the CAS Center of Chinese Agricultural Policy made surveys on
randomly selected farm households cultivating insect-resistant GM rice
varieties. They found that when compared with households cultivating
non-GM rice, small and poor farm households in benefit from adopting GM
rice by both higher crop yields and reduced use of pesticides, which
also contribute to improved health. Their finding was published in the
April 29 issue of the Science magazine.
Thanks to biotechnology development programs in China, several GM
rice varieties have been successfully developed in this country. Since
the 1990s, many of them have entered and passed field and environmental
release trials, and for the last three years four varieties have been in
preproduction trials in farmer fields. But none of them have got the
permission to be commercialized.
Many factors hinder the commercialization of GM food crops, says
Prof. Huang Jikun. One of them is that little independent evidence has
been provided on whether the crops would really improve farmer welfare.
To address the problem, Huang and his coworkers made an in-depth analysis
of the effect of insect-resistant GM rice on farm households before
commercialization in eight villages, where the preproduction trials of
the GM rice were conducted in 2002 and 2003.
The results of their surveys demonstrate that the insect-resistant
GM rice yields were 6 to 9% higher than conventional varieties, with an
80% reduction in pesticide usage and a reduction in their threat to
farmers' health.
Such high potential benefits suggest that, according to Prof. Huang,
products from China's plant biotechnology industry could be an effective
way to increase both competitiveness internationally and rural incomes
domestically. The benefits are only magnified if the health effects are
added. The implications of the commercialization of GM rice in China could
also far exceed the productivity and health effects on its own producers.
(From english.cas.cn )
