GMO Food For Thought

Supporters who claim that genetically modified crops had no scientific proof of health threats hope that if China approves the altered rice, that endorsement might alleviate health and environmental concerns.

In China, genetically modified rice is approved for use only in designated experiments. Green Peace advocates said two weeks ago that they had purchased bags of the rice in seed markets, and called on the government to stop the rice from spreading more widely into the food supply. Green Peace still insists that the rice could possibly be harmful, as its long-term effects were unknown. The Chinese government said it was investigating whether the rice entered the food supply in Hubei Province, a rice-producing region.

The 'Science' study did not address whether genetically modified rice could be harmful to people if eaten. But it did say the rice was probably better for farmers: genetically modified rice cut pesticide use by as much as 80 percent. The altered rice has a gene that acts as its own insecticide.

Reduced pesticide use would allow farm incomes to rise, the study said. "We estimate that if 90 percent of the farmers plant GM rice, then the annual agricultural income of China will increase by $4 billion," said Huang Jikun, an author of the paper and director of the Agriculture Policy Research Centre at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Some experts, however, say the Chinese government may not approve genetically modified rice this year because of safety concerns.