Although the crops – developed by Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province – have passed the government’s safety tests and could dramatically reduce the use of pesticides, many people are still skeptical about the long-term effects of what some describe as “Frankenstein foods”. (China Daily)

Complicated subject, simple question: will China go the way of the U.S. or Europe? The former has been producing genetically modified (GM) foods for over a decade with no problems, while the Europeans are still extremely suspicious of this technology.

There are several considerations in China to keep in mind. First, pesticide use is a huge problem here. It harms the environment (particularly polluting the water supply) and presents a danger to both people who handle the chemicals as well as danger by secondary contact, such as the polluted water. Any technology that minimizes use of pesticides, therefore, has a lot going for it.

Second, China has a food problem, which is related to its land and water problems. The country has a lot of people, a relatively small amount of arable land, and really a tiny amount of water; worse, that limited amount of water has been polluted, and some areas of the country are experiencing drought conditions. Any technology that could increase yields, perhaps through resistance to pests or disease, would again be quite welcome. According to government sources:

[The two strains under development] will reduce the use of pesticide by 80 percent while raising yields by up to 8 percent[.]

Third, on the negative side, and I am speculating here, there could be intellectual property issues out there. GM agricultural products are heavily patented. Although a Chinese University, working with the government, are developing these crops, I have no idea whether any of this technology falls within the scope of an existing patent.

Even if it is, of course, that doesn’t mean that this would necessarily pose a problem to these products moving forward. Deals can be made, licenses obtained, patents invalidated — wait a minute, no, I didn’t mean that last one. The government wouldn’t do that, would it?

Well, you never know. This brings us to issue four, food security. Ever since the late 50s, food security has understandably been a gigantic issue for the Chinese government. While China does import soybeans from the U.S. (and perhaps other staples from other nations, but in much smaller amounts), it is pretty much self-sufficient in a lot of areas.

This is by choice, but it is becoming more and more difficult to maintain those numbers. As the population grows and water becomes ever scarce, something’s got to give. Perhaps GM food can help satisfy this policy goal as well.

Last, issue five, health concerns about GM food. I’ll put my cards on the table at the outset here; I’m in favor of GM food and the underlying technology. It’s been tested, and the food eaten for many years. Good enough for me. Is it possible that there are health problems? Sure, anything’s possible. But to this point, based on a good track record, a lot of people say it’s good to go.

I think the Chinese government agrees with that conclusion, and that it will continue to push forward on this despite some domestic critics. When you combine the health and environmental issues related to pesticide use with the gains in productivity in the face of scarce water supplies and limited arable land (with a growing population!), coupled with this strong desire to maintain a high degree of food security, it looks like a policy no-brainer.