Besides China, which other countries import genetically modified crops such as soybeans and corn?

A few days ago, the Liangxiao micro-editor published an article《These several genetically modified soybeans and corn obtained national import safety certificates, permitted only for use as raw material processing and not allowed to directly enter the food sector》，After the article was published, some netizens wanted to know whether only China imports these genetically modified grains, and whether there are other countries besides China?

In fact, since the world's first large-scale commercial cultivation of genetically modified crops began in 1996, it has been 21 years up to now. In 2016, a total of 26 countries cultivated 185.1 million hectares of genetically modified crops. Besides China, the following countries and regions also allow the import of genetically modified crops, including the European Union.

However, it should be pointed out that, as stipulated by our country, the vast majority specify that genetically modified crops are to be used for raw material processing and are not permitted for direct use in the food sector. For example, the rapeseed imported by the European Union region is mainly used in the production of biodiesel.

In addition, rice and wheat, the genetically modified varieties most likely to be approved for direct consumption globally, are still in the safety and environmental assessment stage. As of now, no country has approved commercial cultivation of genetically modified staple grains.

In 2009, the Agricultural Genetically Modified Organism Safety Management Office of our Ministry of Agriculture issued relevant safety certificates for rice and corn research declared by Huazhong Agricultural University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, allowing production and application in Hubei and Shandong provinces, but did not approve commercial cultivation.