Chinese research funding into genetically modified organisms (GMO) has fallen by 80 percent in the past four years, according to a member of a parliamentary advisory body, as Beijing faces public unease over a technology it has been promoting to boost food security.
The government has urged its scientists to take a global lead in GMO, although it has been reluctant to commercialize GMO crops given public concerns over health risks.
Safety approvals for pest-resistant Bt rice, as well as phytase corn, designed as a more environmentally friendly feed for pigs, were completed as early as 2009. But the world’s largest buyer of imported GMO soy and cotton has not approved commercial production of GMO grains.
Read the full original article: China GMO research funding dipped 80 percent
