China approves import of GM crops – after a decade

CHINA has approved the import of eight genetically-modified (GM) crops, including GM alfalfa for the first time, its agriculture ministry said on Friday (Jan 13).

The country is one of the world’s biggest agriculture markets, but its slow approval process for GM crops has long been a pain point for seed companies, as this hampers the commercialisation of their products globally.

Bayer’s glyphosate-resistant alfalfa, or J101, was first submitted for approval in July 2011, when it was owned by US company Monsanto. Its J163 alfalfa, which has also been approved, was submitted for review more than 10 years ago.

A glyphosate-resistant canola, DP73496, from Corteva Agriscience was also approved. The product was first developed by DuPont Pioneer and submitted for review in July 2012.

Neither Bayer nor Corteva responded immediately to requests for comments.

Meanwhile, Beijing has promised to speed up access to its market under the Phase One trade deal with the US, which was signed in 2020.

Although President Xi Jinping has backed GM technology, Beijing takes a cautious approach to such products and has not yet approved any major crops for cultivation.

While it does allow the import of GM crops used in animal feed or for textiles, trade partners say its process is not always based on science and has often been driven by politics.

In addition to Bayer’s alfalfa and Corteva’s canola, two GM sugarcane traits developed in Brazil, as well as a herbicide-resistant cotton from chemical producer BASF, were approved.

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The crops were allowed to be imported for processing in China from Jan 5, for a period of five years.

China also approved the safety of domestically-developed GM corn and soya-bean products for new regions of the country. REUTERS