Researchers in China are ecstatic about their government’s approval of gene-edited crops, claiming that it clears the way for the plants’ usage in agriculture and would stimulate research into varieties that are tastier, pest-resistant and more adaptable to a warming world.
Researchers have been rushing to submit applications for the use of their gene-edited crops since China’s agricultural ministry released preliminary guidelines on January 24.
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China’s new rules are more conservative than those in the United States, which do not regulate gene-edited crops that incorporate small changes similar to those that might occur naturally, but are more lenient than the European Union’s stance of treating all gene-edited crops as genetically modified (GM) organisms.
Obtaining biosafety approval for a GM crop in China can now take up to six years. However, experts believe that the new guidelines, which outline the process for acquiring a biosafety certificate for gene-edited crops, might cut the approval period to one to two years.
GM crops require extensive, large-scale field trials before they are approved for use. The new guidelines stipulate that, for gene-edited crops deemed to pose no environmental or food-safety risks, developers need only provide laboratory data and conduct small-scale field trials.
