In my opinion, the key issue for GM rice is not whether it is safe, but whether our rights can be guaranteed. This is a translation of my comment to China Daily.
Approval of planting genetically modified rice, even if it is still experimental, has caused controversy: Should China take the lead in genetically modifying a staple food in the world?
Not surprisingly, those who advocated GM rice condemned opponents' "ignorance" of biotechnology and the "phobia" of genetically modified products. They spared no effort to assure the public that GM rice is safe and use various data to support their views.
However, the core issue of GM rice is not whether it is safe or not - if we are trapped in that controversy, the debate will never end. What really matters in this tangle is whether the rights of our common people will be respected.
Of this series of rights, it is our right to choose. Do we still have the right not to consume GM rice and other foods produced through genetically modified technology? Do we have the right to ask the Ministry of Agriculture to respect our preference for non-GM foods?
I can accept that GM rice is safe to say. But I don't like to have it imposed on me when I haven't spent the mental preparation. No one should deprive people of their right to choose their favorite foods. No one should create a situation where we have no choice but to genetically modified rice.
And this worry is not without reason. Many years ago, GM cotton was unwittingly introduced in China and hit the banner of "super cotton." Until the official approval has been issued, GM cotton, known as "super cotton," has blossomed in China.
Thankfully, GM cotton is not a food crop. But what followed was imported GM soybeans and corn, which almost dominated our edible oil market. We can still use the idea that GM foods are not our direct consumption but through processing to get rid of ourselves.
Despite this, edible oils containing genetically modified ingredients are still imposed on us when we are not willing. The Ministry of Agriculture has actually failed to give us a responsible explanation for this kind of abuse of power. Now, they are determined to commercialize the cultivation of genetically modified rice. This time, those of us who are biased toward traditional rice can no longer give up our right to choose. We have the right to refuse to impose GM rice on our table. Our rights must be respected and protected.
In other words, if the decision to plant genetically modified rice, whether experimental or even commercial, cannot be changed, the government must also take effective measures to ensure that the planting does not exceed the approved boundary and that non-genetically modified rice cannot be contaminated. There must be clear penalties for any violation of the regulations.
Another right that this issue involves is our right to know. We should not only know if the food on supermarket shelves contains genetically modified ingredients. We should also know about other issues.
For example, we must have the right to know that GM rice is the only solution to the 21st century food problem? If this is the case, then why are there no other genetically-modified staple foods that people directly eat, other than China? Why is India, the second largest country in the world, second only to China, a major producer and consumer of rice, and chose to reject GM rice? If someone asserts that GM food is the only way to feed our population, does that mean that other biological means are exhausted?
People do not need much scientific knowledge to know that this is far from the case. Although GM rice advocates claim that GM technology is developing rapidly, their own data show that 20 years after GM technology was released, in 2005, only 8.5 million households in 21 countries around the world planted GM crops. This figure is not impressive. What they do not say is that facts show that many of those farmers, especially in China, were ignorant of planting genetically modified crops without knowing it.
If genetically modified food is not the only choice to solve the problem of food security, why is China eager to become the first country to commercialize transgenic rice?
This is related to another issue that we need to know - is China's R & D investment in food production balanced? In other words, is the research fund tilting too much toward GM foods? Sources have said that most of the research funding for agricultural biotechnology has been given to genetically modified foods, and the distribution of these funds has been studied by GM scientists. If this is the case, it is certainly not appropriate because the person in charge of scientific research funds should not be involved in personal interests.
The issue of genetically modified rice or genetically modified foods in the broad sense also relates to our right to speak, or to our right to participate. Because we are the ultimate target consumers of GM foods, even if GM foods are not at risk, we should have a say in this issue. This is not something that scientists and officials can decide for us, especially when there are so many question marks in the whole process.
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