FAO to strengthen cooperation with China in the fight against hunger
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Oct. 16 is World Food Day. What is the global grain output situation this year? What challenges does China's food security face? How should we view the “China food threat theory”? Is genetically modified technology a “lifeline”? A few days ago, Xinhua reporters conducted an exclusive interview on hot issues in the grain sector with Perci Misika, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Representative to China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia.
“China is a contributor, not a threat”
Q: What is the global grain output situation this year?
A: Global cereal output this year is forecast at 2.523 billion tonnes. After deducting consumption, world grain stocks will exceed 627.5 million tonnes by the end of 2014, the highest level in 15 years. A bumper harvest and ample stocks are conducive to stabilizing grain prices. The FAO Food Price Index shows that grain prices have fallen for six consecutive months.
Q: How should we view China's food security issue and the “China food threat theory”?
A: China's grain output has achieved ten consecutive increases. In terms of grain quantity and access, it is no longer a problem. What deserves attention is quality and safety, as well as the nutritional imbalance caused by people's preference for high-calorie diets. At the same time, the agricultural ecological environment urgently needs to be restored. Every year, 70 billion jin of grain is lost in storage, transportation, processing and other links, all of which are factors affecting food security.
Regarding the food threat theory, on the one hand, China uses less than 10 percent of the world's arable land and 6 percent of its freshwater resources to feed 20 percent of the world's population, which is a contribution to the world; on the other hand, assuming that China's grain production runs into problems and it needs to buy large quantities of grain from the market, this would inevitably shake the world grain market.
Whether China is a threat, I think, depends on several questions: Does China dump grain on the world market? Does it buy large tracts of land abroad, especially in African countries? Is it actively acquiring patents on other countries' crop and animal genes? Does China acquire large numbers of local African seed companies through multinational seed companies? Is it increasing agricultural technical and financial assistance to Africa? Only the last question has an affirmative answer; all the others are negative. Therefore, I believe China is a contributor, not a threat to world food security.
“Genetically modified foods that have been tested are safe”
Q: Everyone is very concerned about the safety of genetically modified foods. What is the FAO's attitude?
A: The FAO believes that genetic engineering has potential in increasing yields and productivity. Some countries are already using genetically modified technology to increase grain output, including producing rice containing iron and vitamin A, and developing infectious disease vaccines for humans and animals.
We have also noted people's concerns about the potential risks of biotechnology, including impacts on human and animal health and the environment. The FAO supports a science-based assessment system that can objectively evaluate the advantages and risks of genetically modified foods. It is also necessary to carefully monitor the post-launch impacts of genetically modified products and their production processes, so as to ensure continued safety for humans, animals and the environment.
Overall, genetically modified foods that have undergone strict, scientific testing are safe, but the public's right to know and right to choose must be ensured.
On the issue of genetic modification, China has not yet approved the commercial cultivation of genetically modified staple grains and is committed to maintaining a leading position in the field of genetically modified research, which I think is wise.
Rising food demand calls for more technological innovation
Q: Recently, the super rice cultivated under the leadership of Chinese academician Yuan Longping broke through 1,000 kg per mu in yield. How do you evaluate this?
A: This is a remarkable achievement. Over the past decade, China's grain yield per mu has increased by about 70 kg, contributing more than 70 percent to grain production.
It is expected that China's population may increase by 7 million each year in the future. By 2020, China's grain demand will reach 700 million tonnes, an increase of 100 million tonnes over last year's output; at the same time, arable land is continuously decreasing, which requires taking the path of invigorating agriculture through science and technology, tapping potential and raising per-unit yields.
Since the FAO established an office in China in 1982, it has implemented more than 400 agricultural development projects in China, with a total investment of more than 200 million US dollars, and has carried out extensive cooperation in agricultural technology. In the future, it will deepen cooperation with China in food safety, ecological agriculture, disaster prevention and mitigation technology and other areas.
It is worth mentioning that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will visit the FAO headquarters on the 15th. This is a milestone in decades of fruitful cooperation between the FAO and China and will open a new chapter in the two sides' cause of fighting hunger.