In an effort to raise the efficiency of its agriculture sector, China announced this week that it will for the first time allow commercial production of GMO soy, reports Reuters. Until now, China has not allowed the production of a GMO food crop out of concern that consumers would react negatively over perceived health risks.
“Support for new soybean varieties comes as China seeks to overhaul its crop structure,” Reuters says. “Farmers are being encouraged to switch from growing corn to soybeans and to rotate between crops.”
But the government is right to expect a backlash from consumers and a local industry that charges a premium for non-GMO soy products. “The major production areas for key commodity crops shouldn’t be planted with GMOs,” said Liu Denggao, vice president of the Chinese Soybean Industry Association. “Domestic soybeans are extremely desired and trusted by consumers for food.”
U.S. agriculture officials estimate that China will produce 12.5 million tonnes of soy in 2016/17. But the country will import a record 86 million tonnes, says Reuters. The U.S. is the world’s top soy producer, and most of the soy produced here is GMO.