Latest research has attracted a new round of controversy
Recently, the international environmental protection organization Greenpeace stated in an e-mail to the reporter that the Austrian government issued the latest scientific research on November 11 local time and confirmed for the first time that genetically modified corn will cause the reproductive ability of mice to decline. The study was initiated and funded by the Austrian Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment and completed by the University of Vienna.
The results of the study showed that in a continuous feeding evaluation experiment lasting more than 20 weeks, the white mice that were fed 33% of the genetically modified corn from the feed started from the third generation, and the offspring's body weight, body length, and number were significantly reduced.
As a result, Greenpeace proposed that governments including China must strengthen the research on the safety of genetically modified foods and call for an immediate halt to the commercial approval and planting of any genetically modified food crops.
"The results of the study clearly confirmed the health threats of genetically modified crops. China's safety research and commercialization review of genetically modified food crops need to be more cautious, to avoid harming the health and future of China's 1.3 billion people." Greenpeace Food and Agriculture Project Director Fang Lifeng said.
After the Austrian government issued a report on genetically modified corn affecting fertility in mice, the international agricultural giant Monsanto issued a statement saying that this conclusion lacked scientific basis and was suspected of speculation.
The feed used in the above study was a hybrid of GM603 (resistance herbicide) and MON810 (Bt insect resistance) developed by Monsanto Company. Monsanto issued a statement stating that the Austrian research team has carried out three experiments. The results of the three experiments are inconsistent, and further studies are needed to confirm this.
Lu Hong, director of corn research and development at Swiss Syngenta, which ranks third in the field of high-value commercial seeds, believes that Austria’s practice is not in line with the procedure for publishing scientific research results. The general research results, especially those that have a significant impact on public safety, will be assessed first by peers. After passing, they will generally be published in world-class scientific journals such as Nature and Science, rather than news. release.
Zhang Shihuang, a researcher at the Crop Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, is an expert in corn breeding. He said: “Whether Austria’s research is normative and reliable will not be evaluated first, the trend of China’s development of genetically modified corn is overwhelming.â€
This year, the Chinese government has just approved more than 20 billion GM special funds. Fang Lifeng believes that because GM crops may be harmful to humans, a larger portion of this funding should be invested in the full study of the safety of genetically modified crops, and should not be used to promote the rush to commercialize GM crops.
GM rice will go to the people's table?
In April 2008, the World Bank issued a report that, as of the end of February this year, wheat prices in the international market have increased by 181% in the past three years, and food prices have risen by 83% overall. In the two months from March to April, the price of international rice soared by 75%. At the same time, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said that 37 countries have already experienced a food crisis.
In this context, the "National Outline for Medium and Long-Term Scientific and Technological Development Planning (2006-2020)" and the National "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" have listed "Growing New Varieties of Genetically Modified Organisms" as one of 16 major projects. The total budget is more than 20 billion yuan, which is the single largest agricultural scientific research project in China since the founding of the country.
In 2007, the genetic policy of the Ministry of Agriculture was adjusted from "scientific planning, active research, steady progress, and active management" to "accelerating research, active application, standardized management, and scientific development." Experts believe that the country’s attitude toward genetically modified foods has eased. Now it has begun to adopt a more positive attitude, but it is still very cautious.
It is reported that at present, there are no signs of commercialization of GM rice. At the end of April 2008, at the first regular meeting of the Genetically Modified Safety Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, although several mature GM rice varieties were evaluated at different stages, there was still no one. by.
The transgenic rice Bt63, developed by the State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement of Huazhong Agricultural University, is a transgenic insect-resistant rice that has been field-tested and was submitted to the Agriculture Genetically Modified Organism Safety Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture for safety assessment in November 2004. Have obtained a security certificate. This species is one of the most likely transgenic rice varieties that are currently eligible for commercial cultivation.
According to the Regulations on the Administration of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms Safety Evaluation, any research, testing, production, or import activity of agricultural genetically modified organisms in China must be evaluated for safety. According to different categories, different security levels and 5 stages for reporting or approval.
Before a GM rice variety comes on the market, it needs to pass through five checkpoints, which are the laboratory phase, the intermediate test phase, the environmental release test phase, the production test phase, and the final approval phase; since each phase requires one to two years Therefore, before a product is listed, it requires seven to eight years of audits.
According to the 12th issue of "Food Policy Consultation" this year, it is disclosed that the phytate corn developed independently by China is likely to be approved by the government and will be entered into commercial production as early as next year, marking the world's largest non-genetically modified corn producer - China. Planting of genetically modified corn will also begin. Corn is the main ingredient of various feeds.
The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences has been testing phytic acid-transfused corn and has applied to the National Bioengineering Safety Committee to issue a safety certificate.