<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">This is quite interesting. <br><br>The Chinese government seems to be more concerned than is the government of Vietnam about protecting their seeds and agricultural production, by not allowing introduction of GMO seeds into China. <br><br>The Chinese view the matter as an issue of <i>national sovereignty </i>and food security. <br><br>The Chinese see clearly that the plan of multinational corporate giants such as Monanto and Dow Chemical is to control the seed supply, maximizing the global profits of these huge companies. Monsanto and other firms would make it impossible for farmers to re-use their seeds, reducing farmers to permanent financial dependency on the companies.<br><br>China views this possibility as a threat to the country's "seed sovereignty" and thus to their national security. They are taking steps to strengthen their control over seeds and agricultural production so Chinese farmers will not lost control of agricultural production to companies like Monsanto. <br><br>An issue not mentioned by the Chinese, which many Americans and Vietnamese understand all too well, is the false promises of companies such as Monsanto and Dow Chemical. We remember that these companies were major producers of Agent Orange. They assured us at the time that the chemical was <i>completely safe. </i>Now we know that was a lie, and too late we understand the terrible consequences of that lie. <br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">It will be interesting to see if Vietnam sells out to the toxic producers of Agent Orange, or takes steps to protect its own agricultural health, safety, and security -- as China is doing -- by protecting agriculture and seed production from these outside threats.<br><br>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b><i><span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:rgb(153,0,0)">================================<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style><b><span style="font-size:9pt;color:windowtext"><br><a href="http://dimsums.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/chinas-seed-sovereignty-strategy.html">http://dimsums.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/chinas-seed-sovereignty-strategy.html</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style><b><span style="font-size:9pt;color:windowtext"><a href="http://dimsums.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/chinas-seed-sovereignty-strategy.html"><br></a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><a href="http://dimsums.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/chinas-seed-sovereignty-strategy.html"><b><span style="color:windowtext">DIM SUMS</span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Thursday, September 18, 2014</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><a name="228313205932367201"></a><b><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">China's "Seed
Sovereignty" Strategy </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">The Chinese
government is giving domestic seed companies tax breaks, engineering
consolidations, and setting up a jerry-rigged system of supplying
publicly-funded seed research to private companies to prop up its seed
industry. The aim is to stem the dominance of multinational companies
in China's seed market and preserve "seed sovereignty." <br>
<br>
</span><a href="http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2014-09/17/content_2751800.htm"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The official China News Network reported on the seed
industry strategy</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext"> discussed by
Ministry of Agriculture officials at a seed industry trade fair in Changsha,
Hunan on September 16. In a series of documents issued since 2011, China's
State Council has identified the seed industry as a "strategic
foundational industry" essential to agricultural development and food
security. The Government has issued supportive policies and is preparing a
revision of the "seed law" which purportedly promises a "golden
age" welcomed by the (Chinese) seed companies. <br>
<br>
While China has the second-largest number of seed varieties in the world, its
big seed companies are said to have only 0.8 percent of the global seed market.
The "loss of quality seed resources" is said to be a serious concern.
With multinational companies flooding into the market, the country's "seed
sovereignty" is said to be threatened. <br>
<br>
The seed companies have been granted a waiver of business taxes said to be
valued at 650 million yuan (over US$ 100 million) in 2013. Official policy is
to promote mergers and acquisitions to whittle down the vast number of small
seed companies. The "threshold" has been raised for staying
in the seed industry. The number of seed companies declined 30 percent,
from 8700 in 2011 to 5200 now. <br>
<br>
The revised seed law seems to envision a melding of public research with
private marketing for the seed industry. Most seed breeding is conducted by
publicly-funded research institutes. The government plans to increase spending
on research while seed companies are described as the main players in
commercializing new seed varieties. The government also seems to have a role in
seed propagation. Hainan Province has a plan to set aside 50,000 mu of land for
seed breeding and propagation. <br>
<br>
Relying on public funding of research is more tricky than it sounds
because government funds often fail to appear or they appropriated for use
by bureaucrats and self-interested institutes to waste on flashy
buildings, vehicles, and overseas trips. In a perhaps not-unrelated
announcement, </span><a href="http://www.grainnews.com.cn/a/news/2014/09/18-10106.html"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">authorities are investigating the misappropriation of
funds</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext"> appropriated for
research on genetic-modification of crops since 2008. 2-to-3 billion yuan
was budgeted annually over that period, but "effective oversight was
lacking." Some high-level researchers were in charge of research projects
on GM crops while also operating or holding stock in companies. This may
be why the seed law is being revised to "clearly separate" research
institutes from companies. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">=========================================</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">China will adopt "national strategy" to deal with
"seed sovereignty" crisis </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">The central
government portal <a href="http://www.gov.cn">www.gov.cn</a> 2014-09-17 </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Source: Xinhua News
Agency <br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2014-09/17/content_2751800.htm">http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2014-09/17/content_2751800.htm</a><br><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext"><br></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Xinhua News Agency, Changsha, September 17
(Reporter Zhou Mian) - Reporters in Changsha, Hunan from the opening on the
16th Twelfth National Seed Information Exchange & Products Fair learned
that, with the status of a national strategic foundation seed industry The
newly revised clear and imminent introduction of the Seed Law, seed industry
development will usher in the "golden period", while China will also
be "national strategy" to deal with the growing crisis attitude
"seed sovereignty." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Ours is a big country crop seed resources,
but also the origin of many crops, there are 340 kinds of crops saved a total
of 440,000 copies of the resource, the number of ranked second in the world.
However, due to various reasons, quality seed resource drain phenomenon is very
serious. Meanwhile, the current total market share of the seed industry before
the top ten companies in the world accounted for only 0.8%. And as to the
"ABCD" four companies (ADM, Bunge, Jia Ji, Louis Dreyfus) deepening
foreign-based seed industry, China's "seed sovereignty" is facing
serious challenges. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">"Since 2011, the State Council has
issued a document to support three consecutive domestic seed industry, seed
industry is clearly a strategic foundation of core industries, is to promote
agricultural development, ensuring national food security simply can be said of
China's seed industry is ushering in their golden period. "Deputy
Secretary for Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture seed Ma Shuping
here, at present, China is actively developing a number of initiatives by
domestic seed industry. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">The first is to promote corporate mergers
and acquisitions, and significantly improve the access threshold in the
research and development capabilities, the ability of capital, fixed assets and
technology and other aspects. Thus by 8700 the national seed companies reduce
the number 2011 to the current 5200. Meanwhile through project support, the
establishment of the green channel, reduction of corporate income tax and other
ways to support enterprises to establish commercial breeding system. According
to reports, in 2013 the national total seed exempt from corporate income tax
650 million yuan. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">The second is to strengthen the bases of
seeds, improving the ability for species protection. Ma Shuping, at present
China has designated the Northwest, Southwest and Hainan three seed Area. Which
Hainan proposed plan five acres of seed core protected areas. In addition, the
Ministry of Agriculture is also identified 52 nationwide seed counties and five
large seed Huaihua City, Yancheng, Changji, Xinjiang, Gansu Zhangye, Sichuan Mianyang.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Third, a clear division of research
institutes and enterprises. Ma Shuping said that, in addition to research
institutes to increase investment in basic research of public welfare, the
country also made it clear that the company's position as the main commercial
breeding. And the establishment of Seed Science and Technology Achievement
public trading platform to develop transaction management approach, protecting
corporate intellectual property and innovation. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Vice chairman of the NPC Agriculture
Committee bill compartment Zhang Fugui introduced new draft Seed Law concern
has been completed, expected to be introduced by the end of next year.
"Seed Law Amendment insistence encourage independent innovation,
protection of new varieties; strengthen national nonprofit basic research on
the breeding of support; adhere market and support the principles of several
major seed companies and protecting the seed industry safety." Zhang Fugui
said, National legislation in the form of seed companies to encourage
innovation and ensure its market dominant position, the purpose is to protect
our "seed sovereignty." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext">Editor: Lei Lina </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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