GM Food, the Answer to US-China Tensions

2010-02-06

OK, be patient with me on this one. It'll take a minute for this argument to develop. First, a new report on genetically modified food:

Chinese food and agricultural experts said no evidence has proved genetically-modified crops are unsafe for people and the environment.

Huang Dafang, director of Biotechnology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said Friday that the genetically-modified crops are of great significance to the sustainable development of agriculture and China's competitiveness in global arena.

"It could help increase the output to ease the food supply strain caused by the shrinking of farmland," Huang said.

China has been interested in GM crops for a long time from a food security standpoint. At the rate that arable farmland is being parceled off to developers at rock bottom prices to build much needed {cough, cough, bullshit, cough} shopping malls. luxury condos, cement factories and hotels, someone better start figuring out a way to grow wheat off of concrete.

The U.S. has been in the GM food biz for decades. The big trade obstacle has been the EU, which has insisted that the WTO allows them to block "frankenfood" when it fails to meet reasonable hygiene/safety standards. The science behind all of this is highly debatable of course. This has led to some very entertaining WTO case law, giving students countless hours of fun trying to unravel the logic of rulings from panels and appellate decisions — such fond memories.

The U.S. would love to export GM food to the EU. China is looking to move into GM food in a big way. You can be sure that if they get really good at it (i.e. develop some valuable patents) in the future, they will want to export as well. And why not? Doesn't everyone secretly want to eat frankentofu and steamed genetically-modified-pork buns?

So here's the idea. GM food presents common ground for the U.S. and China, and it also comes with a common enemy, the EU. What more do you need?

I can see it now: joint US-China conferences on the benefits of GM food (sponsored by Monsanto and ADM, natch), renewed calls for the intractable Europeans to recognize the "good science" that says GM food is safe, dueling Op/Eds in People's Daily and the New York Times about how GM food is a marvel of modern science destined to feed the world's hungry.

It'll be beautiful, man. The yellow man and the pasty white man will once again sit together at a metaphorical campfire and sing Kumbaya. I'm choking up just thinking about the brotherhood and all that crap.

Look, China and the US have some sizable disagreements on some very important global issues at the moment.

Solidarity and amicable relations are important. A "trust building" issue needs to be found, and quickly. For better relations, the GM food issue is tailor made (well, poor choice of words there at the end, but you get my point).

Tags: China News, U.S.-China Relations