Teng Paul P S
Natural Sciences & Science Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:237-40.
Of the 102 million hectares that made up the global area of biotech crops in 2006, less than 8% (7.6 million ha) were in Asia. Three biotech crops are currently planted in significant areas in four Asian countries with government regulatory approval; namely, cotton, corn (maize), and canola. However, the amount of GM crop material imported into the Asian region for processing into food and animal feed is very substantial, and almost every country imports GM food. The issues which concern Asian scientists, regulators, and the lay public resemble those of other regions - biosafety, food safety, ethics and social justice, competitiveness, and the "EU" trade question. Most Asian countries now have regulatory systems for approving the commercialization of GM crops, and for approving food safety of GM crops. In Asia, because of the varied cultures, issues concerning the use of genes derived from animals arouse much emotion for religious and diet choice reasons. Because many Asian producers and farmers are small-scale, there is also concern about technology dependency and to whom the benefits accrue. All consumers surveyed have expressed concern about potential allergenic and long-term toxic effects, neither of which is grounded on scientific facts. Because of Asia's growing demand for high volumes of quality food, it is likely that GM crops will become an increasing feature of our diet.
2006年全球转基因作物种植面积为1.02亿公顷，其中亚洲地区的种植面积不到8%（760万公顷）。目前，四个亚洲国家在政府监管批准下大面积种植三种转基因作物，即棉花、玉米和油菜籽。然而，亚洲地区进口用于加工食品和动物饲料的转基因作物材料数量非常可观，几乎每个国家都进口转基因食品。亚洲科学家、监管机构和普通民众关注的问题与其他地区类似——生物安全、食品安全、伦理与社会正义、竞争力以及“欧盟”贸易问题。现在，大多数亚洲国家都建立了监管体系，用于批准转基因作物商业化以及转基因作物的食品安全。在亚洲，由于文化多样，出于宗教和饮食选择的原因，与使用动物基因相关的问题引发了诸多情绪。由于许多亚洲生产者和农民规模较小，人们还担心技术依赖以及利益归属问题。所有接受调查的消费者都表达了对潜在过敏和长期毒性影响的担忧，但这两者都缺乏科学依据。鉴于亚洲对大量优质食品的需求不断增长，转基因作物很可能会在我们的饮食中越来越常见。
