Monsanto To Build GM Research Center In China

Matt Hopkins Posted by Matt Hopkins|24 February 2009

St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto Co. is looking to build a seed research center in China, the world’s most populous country, says CNN Money.com. China imports more than 70% of its total annual soybean consumption as genetically modified (GM) varieties for animal feed. It is the world’s largest buyer of US, Brazilian, and Argentinian soybeans. While China has been cautious in adopting GM technologies in food crops, it widely grows GM cotton.

Monsanto Executive Vice President, Gerald Steiner, said that the company will look to China’s government for the best way to proceed. "The Chinese government has announced very significant investments in biotechnology research in the country’s universities and institutes," so they aren’t against genetically modified crops, Steiner said.

Last June, Monsanto launched an initiative to double crop yields in corn, soybeans, and cotton by 2030 while reducing the required water and fertilizer. It plans to use GM varieties to help reach this goal. Steiner said Monsanto would be focusing on the US, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina to either market its products or seek mergers and acquisition opportunities.

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