China approves big budget for GMO amid food worries
Excerpts:
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's cabinet has approved a huge budget for research of genetically modified crops amid growing concerns over food security, a move scientists say may speed up commercial production of GMO rice or corn.
The State Council, or cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, gave the green light on Wednesday to a program aimed at promoting indigenous genetically modified crops (GMO), Xinhua news agency said.
[...]
Xinhua said the program aims to obtain genes with great potential commercial value whose intellectual property rights belong to China, and to develop high-quality, high-yield and pest-resistant genetically modified new species.
"The plan's approval is a very positive signal to the future research and commercialization of more GMO crops," said Huang Jikun, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The cabinet also urged relevant authorities to "waste no time to implement the program and understand the importance and urgency of the program".
The article speaks about GMO contamination. It seems the authors are accusing the Chinese government of acquiescing to "contamination" of food, or tolerating it.
China's cabinet has approved a huge budget for research of genetically modified crops amid growing concerns over food security, a move scientists say may speed up commercial production of GMO rice or corn.
China approves big budget for GMO amid food worries, by Niu Shuping. Reuters, July 10, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSPEK11727520080710
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China Certifies LibertyLink Soybeans
A safety certificate for Bayer CropScience’s LibertyLink soybeans, which allows soybean imports into China – the largest importer of US soybeans – has been granted by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, bringing it closer to commercialization in that country. LibertyLink soybeans will bring important benefits and choice to growers, says Bayer CropScience, explaining that the LibertyLink trait enables growers to maintain current production practices and rotate herbicide tolerant systems to manage weed resistance and preserve the technologies, as well as delivering benefits such as tillage, labor, fuel and equipment reductions, and the ease and convenience of non-selective, post-emergent weed control with crop safety in competitive, high-yielding varieties.
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Source: China Certifies LibertyLink Soybeans
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