GM foods make its way to China market

Every year, Wang Xiuqiong defies a particular norm in the name of tradition: She makes her own moon cakes. As summer comes to a close, supermarkets and other shops around China quickly fill up with the Chinese pastry around the Mid-Autumn Festival, which fell on Sept 19 this year. The holiday food is a popular gift for friends, family and colleagues.

But keeping with tradition can prove difficult, as Wang, a native of Beijing, soon found out. Soybean oil is Wang's secret ingredient in her moon cakes, but this year she learned that most soybean oil sold in supermarkets is genetically modified (GM). For Wang, that's a big no-no. The supermarket near her home used to have a shelf dedicated to non-GM soybean oil, but the shelf was removed several months ago. A clerk at the supermarket told Wang it's almost impossible to find non-GM soybean oil suppliers. Wang ended up using sunflower seed oil to make moon cakes this year, fearing health hazards from using GM soybean oil.

Wu Mei, an official in charge of data collection at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, said it's quite hard to buy non-GM soybean oil in big cities, as only small oil manufacturing factories in rural areas produce it. "Over 90 percent of the soybean oil for sale in Beijing is genetically modified," she said.

Market share boom

A decade ago, the market share of GM soybean oil in the edible oil market was quite slim. According to the General Administration of Customs, the proportion was less than 2 percent in 2001. While by June 2013, it had surged to 43 percent, according to the China Soybean Industry Association, an industrial union of soybean farmers, processors and traders, as well as scientific researchers throughout China.

The change started in 2001 when China joined the WTO and imports of agricultural products increased. As a result, China's traditional agricultural industry received a heavy blow from more advanced foreign competitors, including GM soybeans from the United States and GM rapeseed from Canada and Australia. These were sold in China at lower prices than locally cultivated soybeans and rapeseed, taking a toll on domestic industries.

According to Xinhu Futures, a Shanghai-headquartered company that offers futures brokerage, investment consulting and asset management services, soybean output was 8.5 million tons in 2012 in China while 71.65 million tons were consumed. In 2012, China imported 58.38 million tons, rising 11.2 percent year on year.

China is also world's largest corn importer and much of that too is genetically modified. In 2013, the country's corn imports will total 7.2 million tons, among which 80 percent are genetically modified, according to a report from SCI International, a professional watcher of China's commodities. The report also said that most of China's imported corn comes from the United States and 95 percent of US-imported corn is genetically modified.

Xie Jiajian, an associate researcher with the Institute of Plant Protection under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), said GM products have grabbed a big market share in global agricultural trade. As a major importer of agricultural products, China is bound to come in contact with more and more GM agricultural products.

Data from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) showed that 81 percent of the world's soybeans, 81 percent of its cotton, 35 percent of corn and 30 percent of oilseed rape was genetically modified in 2012, and most of those products have been sold to China.

The popularity of GM foods in China may be growing, but so too is the debate on whether it is safe to consume. Many Chinese resist GM foods simply because they fear it may cause cancer. "The government has allowed the import of GM soybeans, so it owes us a convincing explanation on whether or not it's safe," said Wang, the Beijing native.

The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) says concerns over GM foods are unnecessary. China's GM foods must comply with three principles: First, the food must be traced back to its origins; second, the food should have a label saying it's genetically modified; third, the food should be controlled within certain regions so that all residents have the right to know and to choose. The MOA has also called on experts to promote GM foods throughout China. So far, the MOA has approved the import of GM cotton, soybeans, corn and oilseed rape.

An attitude change

As long as no attempts are made to change the population's attitude toward GM foods, skepticism will continue.

Research on GM grains in China goes back to Yuan Longping, father of hybrid rice. Chinese people have generally accepted hybrid rice but not GM soybeans, mainly because of a lack of promotion and popularization.

"The fact is, people are surrounded by GM foods, even if they are unaware of it," said Deng Zhixi, deputy director of the Research Center for Rural Economy under the MOA. "No matter if it is in China or the United States, you can't survive without eating GM foods. There are less and less non-GM foods now. We should take a more rational approach toward it." Deng said the United States had led the world in the GM breeding technology. If China is mired in endless disputes instead of following the lead of the United States, food security could once again rear its ugly head in the future.

Huang Dafang, director of the Biotechnology Research Institute under the CAAS, said GM technology has yielded great social, economic and biological benefits during its 17 years of development. According to a report from the ISAAA, 28 countries planted GM crops in 2012.

There are three types of GM products. The first are products that are able to survive environmental challenges, such as insect-resistant, disease-resistant and frost-resistant products. Most GM products belong to this category. The second type enhances quality and nutrition. This group includes GM soybeans. The third type is for medical use, such as vaccines and medicine.

But everyday Chinese are unaware of the variations and uses of GM products, experts lament. "Changing people's attitude toward GM foods is a long process," says Huang. "The most urgent need is to clear their doubts and fear."