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Public must have say in GMO rice debate
2005-11-24
China Daily
With its immense influence on the final approval by the Ministry of Agriculture of commercializing genetically modified (GMO) rice, the ongoing three-day meeting of the State Agricultural GMO Crop Biosafety Committee which began yesterday in Beijing deserves attention.
It is reported that applications for the commercialization of four varieties of GMO rice have been submitted for the agricultural authorities' approval this year.
For China, the world's most populous country, large-scale planting of high-yield transgenic versions of rice will be of great significance in feeding its 1.3 billion people, for the majority of whom rice is the staple.
Though ample supply of grain, as dipping domestic grain prices indicate, makes it less urgent to substantially raise grain output right now, many believe that a combination of an aging but still swelling population and shrinkage of arable land will force the country to face possible food shortages in coming decades.
Technologically, modified rice featuring higher yields and less vulnerability to pests is an obvious option.
However, the lasting controversy over biotech crops, namely that they may threaten consumer health and the environment, permits no hurry in the decision-making process.
The national biosafety committee, the technical body which evaluates GMO rice for research and marketing, should play a key role as gatekeeper in ensuring that the country's long-term biosafety will not be compromised by some short-term economic interests.
Consisting of experts from more than 10 key government departments and academic institutions, the committee boasts the best intelligence and understanding of the issue of GMO rice in this country.
We can certainly trust that the committee will make the most of their expertise and exert great prudence in making responsible judgments on the cases put before them.
Yet, given the vital importance of planting GMO rice to the whole nation, we still urge that more transparency be introduced in the decision-making process.
The masses do not have more advanced knowledge about GMO rice than the experts, but public participation will not only allow policy-makers to hear various voices of different groups, but more importantly it will raise public awareness of the issue itself.
Early this year, reports that non-approved GMO rice was discovered in Hubei Province in Central China surprised the nation. Though details of the subsequent investigation remain unclear, a shocking fact that domestic media found was that local farmers know very little about the possible risks of planting GMO rice.
China ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in May this year, showing the country's determination to take a cautious approach on GMOs.
But to effectively protect the country's biosafety against illegal use of GMO rice either for profit or out of ignorance, the authorities are obliged to better raise public awareness on the severity of the problem.
The public hearing the National People's Congress held later September, the first of its kind, to debate the proposed amendment of the personal income tax law has set a commendable precedent for addressing issues of public interest.
Since the issue of GMO rice is just as important as personal income tax, agricultural authorities should also show equal respect for the people's right to know.
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