[Preview of the Weekly] Breakthrough in Commercialization of Genetically Modified Food Crops: Three Giants Seize the Initiative (AI Translation)
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- China has approved 36 genetically modified (GM) corn varieties and 10 GM soybean varieties for commercial production, marking a significant step towards the commercialization of GM food crops.
- The approval includes major beneficiaries like China National Seed Group and Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group, with a total of over 90% of the approved varieties linked to three domestic giants in the GM industry.
- Challenges remain regarding ecological and health concerns, regulatory clarity on cultivation and direct human consumption, and competition from gene editing technologies.
文｜财新周刊 张一川
By Zhang Yichuan, Caixin Weekly
四年小步快走，首批转基因粮食作物品种终于完成了获农业转基因生物安全证书、品种审定、农作物种子生产经营许可证三大流程，离从田间地头走进超市的商业化仅一步之遥。
After four years of rapid progress, the first batch of genetically modified (GM) food crops has finally completed the three major processes required for commercialization: obtaining a biosafety certificate for agricultural GM organisms, variety approval, and a seed production and operation license. They are now just one step away from moving from the fields to supermarket shelves.
2023年12月25日，农业农村部在官网发布公告第739号，批准发放85家企业农作物种子生产经营许可证，其中包括26家公司的36个转基因玉米品种和10个转基因大豆品种获批。此前，中国批准商业化种植的转基因作物仅有棉花和番木瓜，批准进口用作加工原料的有大豆、玉米、棉花、油菜、甜菜和番木瓜六种作物。
On December 25, 2023, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued Announcement No. 739 on its official website, granting crop seed production and operation licenses to 85 companies. The approval included 36 genetically modified (GM) corn varieties from 26 companies and 10 GM soybean varieties. Prior to this, the only GM crops approved for commercial cultivation in China were cotton and papaya, while imports approved for processing materials included six types of crops: soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, sugar beet, and papaya.
此轮转基因粮食作物商业化动作始于2020年初。当年1月21日，农业农村部公布了《2019年农业转基因生物安全证书批准清单》，在生产应用类清单的最后，出现了2个转基因玉米和1个转基因大豆项目。由此，转基因粮食作物领域长达10年的沉寂被打破。此后几乎每隔半年，就陆续有其他转基因玉米、大豆项目获批，至2023年4月28日公布的最新一批，共有12种转基因玉米转化体、4种转基因大豆转化体拥有农业转基因生物安全证书。
The latest round of commercialization efforts for genetically modified (GM) food crops began in early 2020. On January 21 of that year, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs published the "List of Approvals for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms Safety Certificates for 2019," which included two GM corn and one GM soybean projects at the end of the production application list. This announcement broke a decade-long silence in the field of GM food crops. Since then, other GM corn and soybean projects have been approved almost every six months. As of April 28, 2023, a total of 12 types of GM corn events and four types of GM soybean events have been granted agricultural GMO safety certificates.
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