Agricultural biotechnology in China: Origins and prospects

Abstract

Over the last thirty years, China has developed one of the world's largest public research programs in agricultural biotechnology. Building on a long tradition of agricultural advances, Chinese scientists have applied biotechnology techniques to develop hundreds of novel crop varieties suited to local farming conditions and challenges. Agricultural Biotechnology in China: Origins and Prospects is a comprehensive examination of how the origins of biotechnology research agendas, along with the effectiveness of the seed delivery system and biosafety oversight, help to explain current patterns of crop development and adoption in China. Based on firsthand insights from China's laboratories and farms, Valerie Karplus and Dr. Xing Wang Deng explore the implications of China's investment for the nation's rural development, environmental footprint, as well as its global scientific and economic competitiveness. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.