For many in China, the term “genetically modified food” evokes nightmares: poisoned seeds, contaminated fields, apocryphal images of eight-legged chickens.
China and the global agricultural industry are betting billions of dollars that they can change those perceptions. They are starting with farmers like Li Kaishun.
Mr. Li is an agricultural thought leader. The 39-year-old millet, corn and peanut farmer … adopts new techniques to bolster production, such as mixing pesticides with his seeds before he plants them as a way to reduce overall pesticide use. He rents land from local farmers, giving him 100 acres in a country where the average farm takes up only one-quarter of an acre.
The next innovation he wants: genetically modified crops. That view appeals to DuPont… which offers Mr. Li and his family discounts on seed, pesticides and fertilizers to cultivate those views.
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One thing DuPont cannot provide … is genetically modified seeds themselves. In China, genetically modified crops are largely banned from food destined for dinner tables.
“If there is better seed and better technology, I would definitely want it,” Mr. Li said…
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: In Push for G.M.O.s, China Battles Fears of 8-Legged Chickens
