FAO will strengthen cooperation with China in the fight against hunger-

Beijing, October 15 (Xinhua) October 16 is World Food Day. What is the situation of global grain production this year? What are the challenges facing China's food security? How to treat the "China Grain threat Theory"? Is transgenic technology a "lifesaver"? A few days ago, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency interviewed Boxi Mishka, the representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in China, North Korea and Mongolia, on hot issues in the food field.

"China is a contributor, not a threat."

Q: what is the situation of global grain production this year?

A: global grain production is expected to be 2.523 billion tons this year. Excluding consumption, world food stocks will exceed 627.5 million tons by the end of 2014, the highest level in 15 years. Bumper harvests and adequate stocks are conducive to stabilizing food prices, which have fallen for six consecutive months, according to the FAO food price index.

Q: how do you view the issue of China's food security and the "China grain threat theory"?

A: China's grain output has increased for ten consecutive years, and it is no longer a problem in terms of grain quantity and acquisition. what deserves our attention is the quality and safety, and the nutritional imbalance caused by people's tendency to eat a high-calorie diet. At the same time, the agricultural ecological environment needs to be restored urgently, and 70 billion jin of grain is lost in storage, transportation, processing and other links every year, all of which are factors affecting food security.

With regard to the grain threat theory, on the one hand, China uses less than 10% of the world's arable land and 6% of the world's freshwater resources feed 20% of the world's population, which is a contribution to the world; on the other hand, assuming that there is something wrong with China's grain production and needs to buy a large amount of grain from the market, it is bound to shake the world food market.

Whether China is a threat or not, I think it depends on a few questions: does China dump grain in the world market? Do you buy a lot of land abroad, especially in African countries? Are you taking the initiative to obtain patents on crops and animal genes from other countries? Has China acquired a large number of local African seed companies through multinational seed companies? Is agricultural technical and financial assistance to Africa being increased? Only the answer to the last question is yes, and all the others are negative. So I think China is a contributor, not a threat to world food security.

"genetically modified foods tested are safe."

Q: people are very concerned about the safety of genetically modified foods. What is the attitude of FAO?

A: FAO believes that genetic engineering has the potential to increase production and productivity. Some countries are already using GM technology to increase food production, including the production of rice containing iron and vitamin A, and the development of vaccines against infectious diseases for humans and animals.

We also note concerns about the potential risks of biotechnology, including the impact on human and animal health and the environment. FAO supports an assessment system based on science that can objectively evaluate the advantages and risks of GM foods. It is also necessary to carefully monitor the impact of GM products and their production processes after their launch in order to ensure sustained safety for humans, animals and the environment.

Generally speaking, genetically modified foods that have been strictly and scientifically tested are safe, but it is necessary to ensure the public's right to know and choose.

On the issue of genetically modified crops, China has not yet approved the commercial cultivation of genetically modified staple grains, and I think it is wise to strive to maintain a leading position in the field of transgenic research.

The rising demand for grain calls for more scientific and technological innovation

Q: recently, the yield of super rice cultivated by Chinese Academician Yuan Longping has exceeded 1000 kilograms per mu. How do you evaluate it?

A: this is a remarkable achievement. Over the past decade, China's grain yield per mu has increased by about 70 kg per mu, contributing more than 70% to grain production.

It is estimated that China's population may increase by 7 million a year in the future, and China's grain demand will reach 700 million tons by 2020, an increase of 100 million tons over last year's output; at the same time, cultivated land is constantly decreasing, which requires us to take the road of revitalizing agriculture through science and technology, tap potential and increase per unit yield.

Since the establishment of its office in China in 1982, FAO has implemented more than 400 agricultural development projects in China, with a total investment of more than US $200 million, and has a lot of cooperation in agricultural technology. in the future, it will deepen cooperation with China in the fields of food safety, ecological agriculture, disaster prevention and mitigation technology.

It is worth mentioning that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will visit the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the 15th, which is a milestone in decades of fruitful cooperation between FAO and China and will open a new chapter in the cause of fighting hunger between the two sides.