Market potential of folate biofortified rice in China

Abstract

Provision of a conceptual framework to investigate the market potential of folate biofortified rice (FBR). FBR would be a cost-effective health intervention to reduce folate deficiency in China. The key target groups of FBR are generally in favor of, and willing to pay more for FBR. Regulatory hurdles and weaknesses in the Chinese Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) protection are key bottlenecks to speed up the commercialization of biofortified crops. Implementation issues refer to appropriate variety selection, genetically modified (GM) labeling and the need to address different stakeholders, such as farmers, governmental agencies, and seed producers.