China’s Agriculture Ministry decided not to renew permits that allowed development of three varieties of genetically engineered rice and corn, a decision that “has raised questions about the future of related research in China,” says Science Insider, produced by Science magazine. Some environmentalists say public unease over GE crops drove the decision. Other analysts say it was a matter of economics; China is nearly self-sufficient in rice so it does not need GE rice.
“Whatever the reason, the decision marks an abrupt change in fortunes for transgenic rice in China,” said Science Insider. When China issued the biosafety certificates five years ago, Beijing was thought to be on a short road to putting GE rice into the Chinese diet. Researchers in Wuhan were working on two varieties of Bt rice, which produces a natural pesticide. A separate group engineered corn so the grain carried phytase, which boosts absorption of phosphorus and speeds weight gain in livestock.
Although the Agriculture Ministry did not renew the biosafety certificate for the phytase corn, some experts say China is increasing its support of research on Bt corn. As a livestock feed, corn faces less public opposition, they said.