Edible oil demand is hard to meet, domestic planting area falls short
In recent years, China has imported large quantities of genetically modified soybeans. Is their safety guaranteed? Kou Jianping, Director of the Division of GMO Safety Management and Intellectual Property of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out today at the "National Media Journalists GMO Reporting Training Class" that domestic soybeans face difficulties.
China's imported soybeans mainly come from the United States, Brazil and Argentina. In these countries, genetically modified soybeans account for 93%, 92% and 100% of the total planting area of all soybean varieties respectively. At the same time, China's domestic soybeans are "facing difficulties," Kou Jianping said.
China's average soybean yield is 120 kg per mu, and its comparative benefit is lower than that of corn. "The key is that the domestic planting area cannot meet demand." In recent years, more than 50 million tons of soybeans have been imported every year. Calculated according to existing varieties and technical levels, these soybeans would require more than 400 million mu of arable land, an area close to the current planting area of corn or rice.
"That is to say, to produce these 50 million tons of soybeans, we would have to sacrifice an equal area of high-yield crops, and then food security would face a major problem."
Kou Jianping also pointed out that Chinese people's dietary habits lead to a relatively high consumption of edible oil. He cited that the standard recommended by the World Health Organization is 25 grams per person per day, while experts estimate that in China this figure exceeds 50 grams.
He concluded, "Without a major technological breakthrough, domestic soybeans will find it very difficult to get out of their predicament."
In addition, Kou Jianping said that imported genetically modified organisms undergo a series of safety assessments in China, and "organisms and their products that have obtained safety certificates for import as processing raw materials are safe."