Why import a large number of genetically modified soybeans? The gap needs to increase by 400 million mu of arable land.

Recently, experts from the Science Popularization Department of the China Association for Science and Technology and the Office of the Joint Inter-ministerial Conference on Safety Management of Agricultural genetically modified organisms have compiled a volume entitled "Scientific interpretation of Hot spots of Public concern", which provides detailed answers to hot topics of public concern, such as genetically modified organisms, PX projects, food safety, nuclear science and technology, and waste incineration power generation.

Why import large quantities of genetically modified soybeans? According to the article, China began to import a large number of soybeans in 2000 and reached 63.38 million tons in 2013, most of which are genetically modified soybeans, all of which are used as processing raw materials and not for commercial cultivation. The United States, Brazil, Argentina and other countries are the main sources of soybean imports in China, and most of these countries grow genetically modified soybeans. In 2013, GM soybeans accounted for 93% of the acreage in the United States, 92% in Brazil and 100% in Argentina.

The article said that the import of genetically modified soybeans is a successful measure for China to make rational use of both international and domestic markets and resources. The imported genetically modified soybean has good quality and high oil yield. According to expert estimates, the total cost of processing genetically modified soybeans into soybean oil is 300 yuan lower than that of non-genetically modified domestic soybeans. The sown area of soybeans in our country is about 120 million mu every year, but there is still a gap in our varieties and technical level compared with some countries, the problems of chaos and mixed harvest are more prominent, and labor costs are also on the rise. the key is that domestic production is difficult to meet the demand.

In recent years, China imports more than 50 million tons of soybeans every year. According to the existing varieties and technical level, these soybeans need more than 400 million mu of arable land, which is close to the current sown area of corn or rice. That is to say, when we produce these 50 million or 60 million tons of soybeans ourselves, we have to sacrifice the same area of high-yielding crops.

It is said that genetically modified soybean has the advantages of low cost and large-scale production. Planting herbicide-resistant genetically modified soybeans is an effective means to control weeds with high efficiency, low cost and no pollution, which can alleviate the problem of shortage of rural labor, simplify field operation and improve planting efficiency. With the support of the national special project on the cultivation of new varieties of genetically modified organisms, important progress has been made in the research of herbicide-resistant genetically modified soybeans in China. A new glyphosate-resistant soybean strain has been developed by using transgenic technology and conventional breeding techniques. These new lines have strong disease resistance and lodging resistance, high fat and protein content, and the yield is not lower than that of the national regional trial control varieties. Among them, the new herbicide resistant soybean strain "Hujiao 06-698" with EPSPS gene increases the yield by more than 5% compared with the control, the oil content is more than 21%, and the herbicide cost is reduced by 70%.

Is the safety of imported genetically modified soybeans guaranteed? According to the article, the Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety management of genetically modified organisms and strictly evaluates the safety of imported genetically modified soybeans according to the regulations on the Safety Management of Agricultural genetically modified organisms and its related methods. Soybeans and their products that have obtained import safety certificates are safe.